Another Time, Another Place
by Tanyaleefr
Summary: Lexie simply couldn’t stand being around him anymore… so she left. But one bad decision led to another, leaving her to deal with a burning secret.
1. Chapter 1

_**Title:**__ Another Time, Another Place_

_**Author:**__ Tanyaleefr_

_**Summary:**__ Lexie simply couldn't stand being around him anymore… so she left. But one bad decision led to another, leaving her to deal with a burning secret._

_**Disclaimer:**__ I don't own GA… wish I did!!!!!_

_**Author's note: **__I know this has been done… but I just needed to get it out of my system. This is my first Grey's Anatomy story… I've recently become addicted to the show and I can't seem to get Mark Sloan out of my head. And if you're like me, you feel sick when you see Mark and Teddy together… They're so wrong!!! _

_Mark belongs with Lexie and no one else. _

_Hope you enjoy it! __**PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT!!!! **_

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_**CHAPTER 1: Another Life**

Lexie Grey let out a long sigh and brought her hands up to her face. She rubbed her eyes tiredly, trying to stifle a yawn. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt this drained. She shook her head and finished filling her last chart before putting it back on counter with the others. She glanced at her watch and grinned, noticing her perfect timing. She'd just finished with her last patient and was five minutes away from the end of her shift. She couldn't wait to get home.

She smiled at her coworkers as she made her way towards the staff lounge to get changed. She quickly took her scrubs off and untied her hair, letting her dark brown waves fall to her shoulders. She folded her scrubs neatly and put them back inside her locker before grabbing her purse and shutting the door.

She glanced at her watch again and pinched her lips. She really needed to pick up the pace. She quickly walked out of the locker room and made a bee line for the elevator.

"Hey, Lexie! Your shift's over?"

She turned around but kept walking backwards as she grinned at the owner of the voice. "Yes, at last! Sorry, if I don't get out of here fast, I'm going to be late again." She told him, wrinkling her nose in apology.

Sean waved at her. "I'll see you at home!" He shouted as Lexie got onto the elevator, waving back at him.

She finally made it out of the hospital, digging through her purse for her keys as she half ran to her car.

A few minutes later, she stopped the car in front of the day care center. Hearing happy laughter coming from the backyard, she quickly made her way around the building and grinned when she saw that there were still a few kids waiting to be picked up by their parents. Almost as if he'd sensed her presence, a young boy looked over his shoulder and smiled widely when he noticed her. "Mommy!" Without a second thought, he dropped the basket ball to the ground and ran up to her.

Lexie welcomed her son with a tight hug, her exhaustion long forgotten. "Hi, baby! Had a good day?" She kissed his head and straightened herself up, looking down at the boy's sparkling brown eyes.

Zack looked up at her and gave him one of his brightest smiles. "I did! Miss Janet read us a story and Ben let me play with his new basket ball!"

Lexie laughed at her son's excitement and played with his soft dark blonde hair. "That's awesome!" She brushed his hair one last time and took hold of his little hand. "Ready to go home?"

"Yeah!" He turned around and waved his free hand towards his educator. "Bye, miss Janet!"

"See you tomorrow, Zack!" The woman waved back, smiling at the young boy and mother.

Lexie waved back and mouthed a thank you before turning around and taking her son back to her car. She got him settled into his booster seat and sat behind the wheel again, glad to finally be going home.

She could finally let herself relax a bit as she listened to Zack chatting away about his day and his little friends.

Everyone always asked her how she did it. She was a resident AND a single mother, and she still was able to make it work. But she was no wonder woman. She just had a very tight schedule and tried following it to the second. Every day, she'd wake up, get Zack ready for daycare and get herself ready for work. Then, she would drop Zack at daycare and spend the day working at the hospital. At the end of her shift, she would pick up her son, take him home, cook dinner and finally pass out in her bed… if she made it there.

At twenty-nine years old, Lexie would've never thought she'd be a doctor AND a mother.

She'd always had a plan. After college, she'd succeed her internship and complete her residency. Then, and ONLY THEN, she'd start thinking about having a personal life. The idea of having a child before thirty-four years old had never even crossed her mind.

However, nothing ever went as planned in life, and she'd learned it the hard way. She sighed and glanced in the rearview mirror, grinning softly at her son's reflection.

Nope. She NEVER would have thought she'd be a single mother, working through her residency at Mass General Hospital, in Boston.

Lexie grinned when they finally reached their condo, bringing her out of her reverie. "What would you like for dinner, Zack?"

"Chocolate cake." He answered, not even taking a second to think about it.

Lexie snorted and unlocked the front door. "I don't think so, buddy." She ruffled his hair as he walked inside. "How does mac n' cheese and chicken sound?" she suggested, knowing the orange crap would do the trick.

It must have had, since he had already taken off his shoes and was running towards his bedroom. "Sounds good!" he shouted, dinner the least important thought in his little mind.

Lexie rolled her eyes and shook her head, unable to keep the grin off her face. She went to her bedroom and got changed into a large pair of grey sweat pants and a white tank top. Barefoot, she padded back into the kitchen and got busy preparing dinner.

She'd been standing over the stove for about twenty minutes when she heard the front door open.

"HONEY! I'M HOME!!!!"

She shrieked and jumped in surprise, almost dropping the pot she'd been holding. She growled and pointed her orange spoon at the door, not even needing to look at the intruder to know who it was. "I hate you, Sean."

The man laughed and dropped his duffle bag next to the door before taking his sneakers off. "No you don't." He reminded her, a proud grin on his face. "Smells good in here." He added, trying to get a look at what she was cooking.

She turned her head in his direction and winked at him. "I'm making my specialty."

He joined her in front of the oven and wrinkled his nose at the pot's content. "Kraft Dinner. Yummy." He said sarcastically.

Lexie rolled her eyes. "Shut up."

Sean laughed and turned around as Zack came running in the kitchen. "Uncle Sean!"

The taller man picked the boy up in his arms and flipped him upside down, making him squeal in delight. "Hey, squirt!"

Lexie shook her head but couldn't keep from laughing as she watched her friend handle her son. "Calm down, boys. Go wash your hands, dinner's ready."

"Yes, mom!" Sean replied, already making his way to the bathroom, Zack still dangling upside down.

A few hours later, Lexie was finally able to let herself crash on the couch. The dishes were done, the kitchen clean. She'd spent some time with Zack and had given him his bath before finally putting him to bed.

She knew she was a few minutes away from passing out, and it wasn't even nine.

To think she'd have to repeat all this the next day.

She groaned when Sean let himself fall next to her on the couch. She opened her eyes and glanced at him, smiling as she reached for the mug he was holding out to her. "Thanks." She took a sip from the hot drink and laid her head back against the couch, sighing contently. "What would I do without you?"

Sean shrugged his shoulders and gave her a cocky grin. "You'd live in a small crappy apartment?"

Lexie laughed and shook her head, remembering the 'crapartment' she used to share with George. It seemed like another life. "Can you imagine? If you weren't gay, I'd have a boyfriend right now." She told him, hiding her grin behind her mug.

Her friend threw his head back and laughed. "If you didn't have boobs I'd have a boyfriend right now." He replied.

Lexie snorted and slapped his chest with the back of her hand. They both sighed tiredly and rested their feet on the coffee table. "So, did you talk with the new intern… Jason, right?"

Sean took a sip from his mug and shook his head. "No, I haven't."

She nudged his elbow with her own. "You should. I have to keep myself from blushing whenever I catch him staring at you… it's like he has a sign that says 'I want to take you right here and now' on his forehead."

He snorted and rolled his eyes at her. "Come on, it's not that bad."

"I'm telling you."

He lifted his eyebrows expectantly. "What about you? Did Henry ask you out again?"

She should have known he'd bring him up. "He did." She told him, staring at the tv.

Sean nodded his head knowingly. "And you said no, didn't you."

"Yeah." She murmured, looking down at the mug in her hands.

"I don't believe you! You have this super hot surgeon following you like a little puppy and you're not doing anything about it!" Sean whined.

Lexie shook her head "I don't think dating would be such a great idea…"

He sighed exasperatedly. "Lexie! Zack is going to turn four in a couple of months! And from what I know, you haven't got laid since he was born." He paused, watching her reaction. "You have to do something about this!"

She glared at him. "Could you just let it go, please?" She REALLY needed him to drop the topic. She knew where he was going with this and also knew she wouldn't like it.

Sean sighed and tilted his head towards her. "Zack needs a dad. And don't tell me you've got me, 'cause as much as I love that kid, I'm not planning to spend the next fourteen years living with a single mother and her son. I have a life too, you know." He reminded her.

Lexie frowned and stood from the couch. "That's harsh."

"I know, but I'm not sorry." Sean sighed, took hold of her wrist and at her back on the couch. "Sweetie, you know I love you. I only want what's best for you." He pinched his lips and squeezed her hand, knowing she wouldn't like what he was about to say next. "I've only known you for a few years, babe, and I don't know what happened to you back in Seattle. But you've got…"

She groaned and stood up from the couch again, shrugging her hand out of his grip. "I don't want to talk about this." She grabbed their empty mugs and brought them into the kitchen. "I'm tired, and I just want to get a good night sleep."

"Honey…"

She turned around and glared at him. "No. I've got everything I need. I have a good stable job, a nice home and an adorable son." She let out a long breath and turned around. "You're my best friend… but there are some things I just can't say."

He snorted, having heard that song before. "Yeah, yeah, you've obviously murdered someone." He said sarcastically. Getting no reaction from her, he sighed and walked up to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and laid his chin on her shoulder. "You know what I think?" he whispered softly. "I think you're running away from something." He stayed quiet, waiting for her to say anything, but no sound came out of her mouth. He sighed, kissed her temple and took a step back. "I'm going to bed. I'll see you tomorrow, alright?"

Lexie stayed silent but nodded her head in agreement.

"Good night."

"Night." She whispered, her back still turned to him.

She heard him walk to his bedroom and shut the door behind him. Only then did she lift a hand up to her face to wipe the few tears that had escaped her eyes. She took a shaky breath and rinsed the two mugs, leaving them in the sink. She quickly made her way around the apartment and turned every light off before going straight to her bedroom, wanting to hide in the comfort of her warm bed.

Sean just wouldn't understand. What she had done was… wrong.

She quickly pushed her sweats down her legs and climbed into bed, leaving her discarded clothes on the floor. She reached to turn off her bedside lamp but paused, her eyes catching the frame she'd put on the night stand. She sighed and put her hand down, unable to take her eyes away from Zack's picture.

Zachary Jonathan Grey.

Every time she looked at her little boy, she was reminded of what she'd done. Except for his dark brown eyes, her son looked nothing like her. Zack was the spitting image of his father. Lexie took a shaky breath and turned the light off. She rolled onto her back and stared at the shadows on her ceiling.

How many times had she told herself to pick up that phone and call him? She couldn't even remember.

If only she hadn't slept with Alex. If only she'd just kept her knees shut and gotten a freaking vibrator.

She sighed and shook her head at herself. Who was she kidding… she hadn't had sex with Alex because she was horny. She had because she needed to take her mind off Mark.

As if that would work.

She'd been the one who had dumped him… only because he'd chosen his daughter and grandchild over her. _'No he didn't.'_ she reminded herself. He'd wanted her to become the baby's… mother? grandmother? aunt? She didn't even know. But she wasn't ready to raise a baby. She was only twenty-five years old!

So she'd dumped him. And then, she'd had the superb idea to have sex with Alex.

She'd tried taking her mind off Mark. She'd tried as hard as she could to move on without him. But she couldn't do it. She couldn't spend every day working in the same hospital than Mark. It felt as if someone was beating the crap out of her heart every time she saw him or heard someone say his name. She had difficulty focusing on her work, she was an emotional mess… she simply wasn't Lexie Grey anymore.

So she'd left. Without even telling anyone, she'd packed her clothes, kissed her father goodbye and had caught a plane for Boston. She hadn't even told Meredith right until she was sitting at the airport, knowing she would've tried convincing her not to go. She needed to get away. She wasn't sure why she'd chosen Boston. She hadn't really been anywhere else and having gone to medical school in Boston, it seemed like the most logical place to go to.

She'd been lucky. She'd gotten to continue her residency at Mass General Hospital and could finally focus on becoming a surgeon.

But of course, nothing could ever be that easy.

A few weeks after she'd moved to Boston, she'd found out she was pregnant. She'd been horrified at the news. Not only was she having a baby… she had no idea who the father was. She'd slept with Mark AND Alex... it could have been any one of them. Maybe she should have called them both and told them the news. But she hadn't.

So she had promised herself she'd wait for the baby to be born before telling anyone.

Lexie tried closing her eyes, needing to get some sleep. Her thoughts went to Sean, making her grin slightly. He'd been a great friend to her, right from the start. The two of them had become close very quickly and he'd been there for her through her pregnancy. He hadn't asked her too many questions, which she'd been thankful for. He was the one who had offered her living arrangements, knowing living in a small apartment with a baby would be difficult. He'd even been there when Zack had been born.

She sighed and smiled softly at the memory. She could still remember the joy she'd felt the first time she'd gotten to hold her baby. She could also remember how relieved she'd felt when she'd seen how the baby looked nothing like Alex Karev.

A few months after Zack's birth, there was simply no denying it.

Zack was Mark's son.

She had promised herself she'd tell him… she really wanted to. But four years later, she still hadn't picked up that phone.

Sean just wouldn't understand. She had to keep her secrets to herself.

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_Alright! Let me know what you think! And I'm sure you all have a pretty good idea about what's going to happen… and you're ALL probably totally right! _

**_PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note: **_OMG GUYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you for the GREAT REVIEWS!!!!!! You all just motivated me to write more and more and more of this story!!! _

_So on to chapter 2! I hope you'll enjoy it!_

_AND PLEASE KEEP THESE REVIEWS COMING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_

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**Chapter 2: Horrifyingly GREAT NEWS!**

Lexie woke up, groaning as she felt her bed shift. She felt the covers moving and a warm body lie down next to her. She cracked her eyes open and grinned tiredly when her eyes met identical deep brown eyes, staring back at her.

"You awake, mommy?" Zack whispered, apparently not wanting to wake her up if she was still asleep.

She nodded her head slowly and reached up to brush her son's soft hair. "Good morning. You're up early, sweetie."

Zack smiled at her and lifted his small hand up to her cheek. "I'm hungry, mommy." The young boy announced.

Lexie sighed and closed her eyes. _'So much for sleep.'_ She thought bitterly. "Let's go, buddy."

Zack didn't need to be told twice. He jumped out from under the covers and ran out of the bedroom. She rolled onto her back and stretched, gathering up the courage to leave her warm bed. She glanced at her alarm clock and groaned again. She really had to teach Zack the importance of sleep. Too bad he was still too young to learn how to tell time.

She pushed herself out of bed and grabbed her sweats from the floor. She pulled them on and padded out of her room to join her son in the kitchen. "What would you like to eat for breakfast, Zack?" she whispered, not wanting to wake Sean at five thirty in the morning.

"Oatmeal."

Lexie frowned at her son. "Oatmeal? Since when do you like oatmeal?"

"Uncle Sean made me taste."

She gave him a skeptical smile but nodded her head in agreement. "Ok, oatmeal it is then."

She made some for herself too and poured two glasses of orange juice. She gave him his bowl and lifted her eyebrows in curiosity as Zack left the table to get something from the cupboard. He came back with the brown sugar and a large spoon. Without a word, he lifted a large spoonful of the sugar and sprinkled it over his breakfast, making Lexie's eyes pop out of her head.

"Oh, NOW I know why you like oatmeal." She told him, trying her best not to laugh.

Zack took a large bite and gave her the exact same proud grin she'd seen on his father's face so many times.

She was about to comment again when she was interrupted by the phone. Not wanting it to wake Sean, she ran up to it and answered after the first ring. "Hello." She whispered in the receiver, grimacing as she caught Zack adding even more brown sugar on his breakfast.

"_Lexie."_

Lexie gasped, recognizing the voice instantly. "Meredith!" She answered, her son's sugar high long forgotten. "Hi!.. You're calling early."

Meredith paused and cleaned her throat. _"I know."_

Lexie started pacing, feeling more and more nervous. Meredith never called her. Since she'd moved to Boston, Lexie had called her a few times, but that was it. Moving to Boston had been too much for their fragile relationship to take. If Meredith called her out of the blue at this time in the morning, something HAD to be wrong. "What's going on, Meredith?" she asked her, her voice shaky.

"_Lexie… I've got something to tell you..."_

Something had happened to Mark. "Oh my God…" she blurted out, covering her mouth with her hand.

"_NO!"_ Meredith stopped her. _"No… it's nothing bad…"_

Lexie closed her eyes and let out a long shaky breath. "So what is it?" she asked, trying to get control back over her heart again.

Meredith sighed. _"I need you to come back to Seattle."_

Lexie choked and turned her back to Zack, panicking. "WHAT? No! no… I can't… why? Why would you want me to go back… did something happen to dad? Did dad die?"

"_Lexie, stop! Gosh I told you nothing was wrong. You sound like I'm asking you to come back to hell."_

'_That's pretty close…'_ she thought, swallowing with difficulty. "No… I'm sorry. I'm just… You want me to come back to Seattle?"

"_Yes… well, you're my sister. And I haven't seen you in a very long time… and I miss you."_

She smiled, knowing this must've been hard for Meredith to tell. They'd talked a few times since she'd moved away, but their conversations had always been short and to the point. "You miss me?"

There were a few seconds of silence before Meredith answered. _"Of course, I do."_

Lexie sighed, her eyes filling with tears. "I miss you too." But as much as she missed her sister, she wasn't about to go back to Seattle.

Meredith cleaned her throat. _"There's something else." _She took a deep breath. _"I'm getting married. For real this time."_

"Really?"

"_Really! And I want you to be there."_

Lexie turned around and looked at Zack, who was cleaning his bowl. She hadn't told Mark about his son… nor had she told Meredith. She knew she would have asked too many questions and would more than likely have found out. The only person in Seattle who knew about Zack was her father. She also knew he and Meredith weren't close enough for him to tell her anything about… her situation.

How could she have made her life so complicated? She was the only person to blame for all of this. Whether or not to attend her sister's wedding shouldn't have been a difficult decision to make. She wanted to be there. She WOULD be there. "Of course I'll be there!"

"_It's in two weeks."_ Meredith added.

"TWO WEEKS???!?!?!" she shrieked, her mind going in over drive.

"_Yes… and I'd like you to be there a few days before, so you can take part in the planning."_

Lexie started pacing again. "And… why didn't you tell me before?" She asked, chewing on her lower lip.

"_I... I don't know."_ Meredith paused and let out a deep breath. _"I didn't think you'd want to come."_

The younger woman gaped, fresh tears coming to her eyes. "Why wouldn't I?" She'd done it. She'd pushed her so far away, she'd doubted she'd even show up to her wedding. She'd worked so hard to be part of Meredith's life… and now, she was the one who was pushing her away.

"_You've been in Boston for over four years now, Lexie. You haven't come down here to visit once. I thought…"_

"No!" Lexie said, interrupting her. "You're my family, Meredith. I love you, and I will come to your wedding."

"_Alright. That's good! That's awesome!"_ she told her happily. _"I'll call you in a few days so we can set everything." _She paused. "_I can't wait to see you, Lexie."_ She told her shyly.

The brunette grinned softly. "Me too, Mer."

Lexie heard her hang up the phone and listened to the silence on the line. She had to go back to Seattle. After everything she'd done, she had to go back to that city for her sister's wedding. Why couldn't she have married for real back when she was still in Seattle? Back when Mark wanted her to be her date…

Oh my God. She couldn't bring Zack with her. She glanced in the living room where Zack was turning on the television. He took the remotes with him and sat on the large brown couch, trying to find cartoons he could watch.

Someone would have to be blind not to notice the resemblance between Zack and Mark.

Lexie put the phone on the table and made her way out of the kitchen. Without even knocking, she opened Sean's door and walked in, not caring if she woke him up anymore.

She approached his bed. "Sean!" She called, frowning as he didn't even move. "SEAN!" She climbed on his bed and shook his shoulder, making him moan.

"Go away…" he whined tiredly, trying to push her hand away.

"Sean, I really, REALLY need to talk to you." She told him, not about to let him sleep.

Sean groaned and brought his hands up to his face, rubbing it furiously. "What is it?" he asked, rolling his eyes when he got a look at his alarm clock. "Someone better be dying." He grumbled moodily.

Lexie started talking, her hands flying in every direction. "Meredith's getting married and she wants me to go to her wedding and this means I have to go back to Seattle for a few days but I can't go back I just can't and there's no way I can bring Zack with me but I don't want to leave him here and I'd love for my sister to meet him but…"

He threw his hands up, stopping her. "Woah! Slow down! You wake me up at 6 am and think I'm gonna understand a thousand-word sentence?" He sighed and laid his hand on her forearm. "Now start from the top. And talk slowly for God's sake."

She took a deep breath and started over. "Alright… I have to go to Seattle." She told him calmly.

Sean lifted his eyebrows. "Ok, why?"

"My sister's getting married."

He nodded his head, smiling. "Well, that's good. You haven't seen her in a very long time."

She gulped and shook her head. "But I can't go."

"Why can't you go to your sister's wedding, Lexie?" He asked her, trying very hard not to roll his eyes at her.

"I… can't… it's complicated." She stuttered, staring at her hands on her lap.

This time, he did roll his eyes. "No kidding. Everything related to your life in Seattle seems complicated."

She sighed and gave him a pleading look. "Anyway, I'm going to Meredith's wedding… but I can't bring Zack with me."

He chuckled. "I had a feeling all these secrets had to do with Zack…"

She groaned, not wanting to hear it. "Are you going to help me or not?"

He raised his eyebrows at her tone. "Oh, I'll take care of Zack, you know it's not a problem. I just don't understand why you can't bring him with you."

"Trust me… bringing him to my sister's wedding would NOT be a good wedding gift." She told him, grimacing at the image. Meredith certainly didn't need any more drama on her wedding day.

Sean gasped. "Oh. My. God. Your sister's FIANCÉ is Zack's FATHER?!?!?!!"

"NO!!!!" She shouted, shaking her head vigorously. "No, he's not."

Her friend studied her face and finally nodded his head. "Fine, I'm letting it go. But you'll have to do something for me in return."

She breathed out, finally able to breathe normally again. "Anything."

"When you come back, you're going to tell me what is keeping you from presenting your own son to your family."

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_So what did you think???? DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW PLEAAAAAAAAAASE!!!!_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's note: **__OMG THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!! _

_You guys have NO IDEA how happy your reviews and comments have made me! PLEASE KEEP THEM COMING!!!!!!_

_Now ON TO CHAPTER 3!!!!! I hope you enjoy it!!!!_

_

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_**Chapter 3: Seattle Surprises**_

Lexie laid her head back, sighing as she gazed out the window. She still couldn't believe she was here. She was actually back in Seattle, and that, for a whole week. She couldn't really describe how she felt. She was excited to see her sister again. She was happy to get to spend some time with her dad. She was nervous about seeing her old friends and coworkers.

And she was completely terrified at the thought of seeing Mark again.

"We're here, Miss." The taxi driver brought her out of her reverie.

She straightened in her seat and gave the man a shaky smile. She paid for the ride, climbed out of the cab and waited for the driver to take her luggage out of the trunk. "Thanks!" Her eyes followed him as he quickly got back behind the wheel and she watched the taxi driving away, still unable to turn around and face the building.

Meredith had told her she'd be there to pick her up from the airport. However, as soon as she'd gotten off the plane, she'd gotten a call from her sister, telling her she was stuck at the hospital. So, of course, she'd asked her to take a cab to Seattle Grace to meet with her.

Lexie couldn't wait to see her sister, she was really excited. She'd just thought she'd have a little bit of time before having to face this place.

She took a long deep breath and slowly turned around, facing the building she used to walk into every day. It was exactly the same as she remembered it. She lifted her chin up and straightened her shoulders, willing herself to walk in. "You can do this, Lexie. You can face everyone and answer all their questions. You can." She mumbled under her breath.

Gathering up all the courage she could find, she lifted one of her travel bags over her shoulder and started making her way towards the main doors, pulling her other luggage behind her. She walked in, her eyes slowly travelling around the large room. Her throat was tight with emotion as she realized how much she'd missed this place.

Someone bumped into her bag and apologized, bringing her back to reality. She made her way to the waiting area and took a seat, putting her bags next to her. Meredith had asked her to wait for her there, and told her she'd meet her as soon as she could.

"Lexie Grey?"

The brunette gasped and turned her head, smiling nervously when she recognized who'd called her name. "Derek!" She stood up from her seat and laughed when her soon to be brother-in-law pulled her in a warm hug.

"I'm so glad you decided to come!" he told her, pulling back.

"Are you kidding? I wouldn't have missed this for the world!" She answered.

"Does Meredith know you're here?"

Lexie nodded her head, unable to wipe the happy grin off her face. "She does. She should meet me here any minute."

"Alright!" He squeezed her hand and took a step back, giving her an apologetic smile. "Listen, we'll talk when I get home. We have LOTS to catch up on."

"Can't wait!"

She watched him walking away, smiling widely. She'd really missed that man. She sighed and sat down again, watching as nurses and doctors walked in front of her, completely unaware of her presence. She could remember most of them, but there were a few faces she'd never seen before. A tall brunette finally caught her eyes, making her heart jump inside her chest.

She stood up from her seat again, smiling as her sister quickly made her way towards her. "Meredith!"

Her sister reached her and stood in front of her, smiling widely. They stared at each other for a short awkward moment and finally hugged each other. Lexie was the first one to pull back, her eyes huge as she looked down at her sister's swollen stomach. "Oh my God, Meredith! You're pregnant!"

The older woman smiled happily and nodded her head. "I am!"

"How far along are you?"

"Seven months!" She caressed her bump, smiling lovingly at it. "It's a girl."

"I'm so happy for you!" She didn't dare ask her why she hadn't told her before. She hadn't even told her own sister about her own son… and he was almost couldn't be mad at her for not telling her about her pregnancy.

"Thank you." She looked down at the bags on the floor and shook her head. "You do remember you're only staying for a week, don't you?"

Lexie looked at her luggage and shrugged. "I'm sorry, I don't travel light."

"Let's go, then!" Meredith grabbed the largest bag and started dragging it towards the door. "Meredith! What are you doing??!?" Lexie shrieked before taking her second bag and following her. She groaned as her sister only ignored her and kept walking.

The ride to Meredith and Derek's house was pretty short. Her eyes almost bulged out of their sockets when she finally got to see their home. "Tell me this isn't your house."

Meredith snorted but humored her. "Ok, this is not my house."

"It's huge! I'm gonna get lost in that thing!" She was jealous. That was the type of house she'd always wanted to raise her son in. Instead, she lived in an apartment with her friend.

"I'll give you a GPS." She told her, parking the car and turning off the engine.

Lexie laughed at her sister's comment and got out of the car, unable to take her eyes away from the house. "So I take it the wedding is going to be a big one."

"What makes you say that?"

"Oh, I don't know." She rolled her eyes at her. "Maybe the fact that you live in a house the size of Buckingham Palace!"

It was Meredith's turn to roll her eyes. "Come on, it's not that big."

"You should see the size of my apartment."

"Are you going to help me or am I going to carry all this for you?"

Lexie jumped and joined her behind the car, lifting her bags out of the trunk. She didn't say anything when Meredith grabbed one of her bags again, and followed her up to the entrance. Meredith unlocked the door and walked in, holding the door open for her. Lexie's breath caught in her throat as her eyes took in the room. "This place is gorgeous."

"Thank you." She pointed towards the stairs. "Do you want to see your room?"

"Sure!" She followed Meredith up the stairs and down a large corridor.

"This is the master bedroom, next to it is the bathroom…" She stopped in front of a door and opened it. "And this is your room."

Lexie walked in and laid her bags down on the large bed. "This is gorgeous, Mer." She looked at her sister and gave her a large smile. "Thank you so much for letting me stay here."

Meredith shook her head and laughed. "Did you really think I'd let you sleep in a hotel?"

The younger brunette grinned and looked down at her bags shyly.

"I'll let you freshen up a little and then, come meet me in the kitchen. You might be sleeping here for free, but you've still got to help me with dinner." She told her, smiling as she backed out of the room.

Lexie nodded her head and watched her disappear before turning her attention back on her bags. She opened one of her bags to pull out her toiletries, frowning. _'Meredith cooks now?'_

After she'd freshen up a bit, Lexie called Sean to make sure everything was fine. Of course he told her she'd only been gone for a few hours and that Zack was still in daycare, which meant everything was the same as it always was.

Then, she went back downstairs and found Meredith in the kitchen. Her sister probably heard her walk in the room and turned around, giving her a warm smile. "See, I knew you wouldn't get lost."

Lexie grinned and walked over to the island, watching her sister make her way around the kitchen. "Since when do you cook, Meredith?"

The brunette took a long knife and pointed it in her direction. "Hey, I can cook." She lifted a heavy recipe book and grimaced. "Izzie got me this book last Christmas…"

The younger woman threw her head back and laughed, imagining her sister's face when she'd opened her present. It must have been priceless. "Well with a baby on the way, you'll have to develop your domestic side."

Meredith wrinkled her nose and nodded her head. "That's what Izzie said." She sighed, opened the book and pointed at the picture. "Now let's get started or we're going to have to order pizza for dinner."

Lexie nodded her head and walked around the counter, pulling the book towards her. "Let's do it, then!"

They both got busy preparing everything. Lexie quickly took charge of everything and guided Meredith through every step. They soon started talking about Seattle Grace and what everyone had been up to in the last four years.

Apparently, Christina and Owen hadn't lasted long after she'd left. Owen had admitted his feelings for Teddy, feelings he'd been hiding for months. The two doctors had gone back together and decided to leave the hospital, much to their chagrin. Christina had taken it well. She'd actually been relieved when Hunt and Altman had left the hospital. She was now dating a bright architect, finally giving up on surgeons.

Lexie was genuinely happy to find out Izzie had come back to the hospital and was still married to Alex. The time she'd spent away had been difficult on Alex, but positive on her. The gorgeous blonde and him had bought Meredith's old house and were the proud parents of a beautiful two-year-old boy.

Callie and Arizona weren't together anymore. Apparently, they had realized they didn't expect the same things from their relationship. Callie had been really down for a while, but then had decided to adopt a baby. Meredith had told her the little girl she'd adopted from China was, without a doubt, the cutest baby she'd ever seen. Until her own baby girl was born of course.

By the time Derek got home, dinner was ready and Lexie knew pretty much everything she had to know about everyone… everyone except for Mark Sloan. Meredith hadn't talked about him and she hadn't asked any questions either. Maybe he had left the hospital. Anyway, she wasn't about to ask her about him.

"Smells good in here!" Derek strutted in the kitchen and kissed Meredith softly. "Have you been cooking?"

Meredith smiled and looked at Lexie, who was nodding her head. "Yep, she almost did everything by herself! She's an awesome cook!"

"And you're still an awful liar, Lexie." He told her, giving her a small kiss on the cheek. "Let me go get changed into something more comfortable and then, you can tell us all about your life in Boston!" He winked at her and walked out of the room, leaving the two women alone. Lexie chewed on her lower lip nervously, knowing there was no way out of this.

A few minutes later, all three of them were sitting at the table, eating the tasty cacciatore chicken they'd prepare for dinner.

"So, Lexie! I've heard you've been doing an excellent job at Mass General." Derek told her, surprising her.

Lexie coughed on her wine, her eyes watering as she tried getting her breathing under control. "What?"

Derek laughed and gave her a little wink. "Being chief has its perks. Not that I've been secretly checking up on you or anything. I recently had a conversation with Roger Anderson and I just asked for some news."

Roger Anderson was her chief of surgery. "What did he tell you?" she asked, feeling slightly nervous. He was a very nice man but had extremely high standards.

"He just said you've been doing a fine job."

Lexie grinned and nodded her head, happy with his answer. "Good."

"So? How is Boston?" Meredith asked her, taking a bite from her food.

'_Here we go!'_ Lexie thought. "It's good! My colleagues are great and I've made a few friends."

"Do you have someone important in your life?" Derek asked her.

Lexie opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted by the sound of her cell phone ringing. She gave them an apologetic smile and stood from the table to answer the call. "Hello?"

"_Mommy!"_

Lexie glanced nervously towards the table and walked out of the room. "Hi, sweetheart! How are you?"

"_I miss you, mommy. When you coming home?"_

She sighed and closed her eyes. She missed him so much already, and she'd just been gone a few hours. "Soon, baby. I told you I'd be gone a few days."

"_But I want you come back now!"_

"I know, baby. I miss you too. But you have to be patient, alright? Are you having a good time with Uncle Sean?" She asked him, knowing changing his mind would help.

"_Yes! He picked me up from Miss Jenny's and took me to McDonald's."_

"Oh, he did?" She laughed and shook her head. Maybe having Sean babysit wasn't such a good idea after all. "You're a lucky boy! Are you getting ready for bed?"

There was a long pause and muffled voices in the back ground before Zack finally answered. _"No. I staying up 'til midnight!"_

"I'm not too sure about that." She answered, shaking her head. "I have to go, sweetie, but I'd like to talk to Uncle Sean, alright?"

"_Okay."_

"Sleep tight, baby. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"_Bye, mommy"_

"Bye." She waited as Zack handed the phone to Sean.

"_Hello, gorgeous!"_

"Sean Williams, did you really feed my son Mc Crap?" She asked him, trying to sound angry.

"_I sure did. What's so wrong with that? You feed him Crap Dinner!"_

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever… How are you guys?"

"_Good! We're having lots of fun together. Zack misses you, but he should be fine."_

She nodded her head, feeling a little better. "Okay."

"_So, you're at your sister's?"_

"Yes, actually we're having dinner, so I really have to go back." She told him, remembering that Meredith and Derek were sitting at the table, waiting for her.

"_Don't keep them waiting! We'll talk tomorrow."_

"Yes. Thanks again, Sean."

"_How many times do I have to tell you it's not a problem?"_

She giggled and started walking back towards the dining room. "Alright, alright. Bye!"

"_Bye."_

She hung up and put her cell phone back inside her pocket. "Sorry about that." She apologized, giving Meredith and Derek a small sheepish smile.

"Trouble at home?" Derek asked her, eyebrows raised in curiosity.

She shrugged her shoulders. "No trouble, everything's fine!"

"Who's 'baby'?" Meredith asked her, ignoring Derek's glare. "We kinda heard part of your conversation." She explained.

Lexie stayed quiet, staring down at her plate. This was it. Should she tell them another lie or should she say the truth? Hiding the truth from someone was a lot easier over the phone… but now that she had her sister and Derek sitting right in front of her, waiting patiently for her to answer, she wasn't sure she'd be able to pull it off.

Derek was right. She was a horrible liar.

She took a deep breath and looked at up at them. "My son."

* * *

_ALRIGHT! So now you've read it, you have no other choice than to REVIEW IT!!!!!!_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Author's note: **__OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS AND ALERTS GUYS!!!!!!! __I'm so happy you like this story! Still working on it and trying to make it as good as possible! __PLEASE KEEP THESE REVIEWS COMING!!!!! You have NO idea how much I appreciate them!!!_

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_**Chapter 4: Finding out the truth… Well part of it anyway...**_

Lexie had been awake for a long time, but couldn't gather up the courage to leave the safe comfort the bed was providing her. In here, there was no need to face her sister. No, instead, she layed on her back, staring at the ceiling as she listened to Derek who was probably getting ready for work. She could hear muffled voices coming from the master bedroom, where Meredith and Derek were more than likely talking about her.

She sighed, unable to keep her mind from replaying last night's events.

She'd told them everything.

Actually no, she hadn't. She still hadn't found the courage to tell them the whole truth… not after seeing how disappointed she'd made them.

_ _ _ _

"_What?" Meredith shrieked. "Did I hear you right? You have a son?" she shouted, not believing her ears. Derek covered her hand with his, trying to calm her down. From the look on his face, Lexie knew he was as shocked as she was and was trying his best not to say anything._

_Lexie took a deep breath and nodded her head slowly. "I have a son." She told them, her voice weak and unsteady._

_Meredith waved her hands around, dinner the last thing on her mind. "How could you not tell us???!?"_

"_Err… I… couldn't find the right time?" She wrinkled her nose at her own excuse, knowing how lame it was._

_Her sister shook her head, unable to look at her as she started stabbing her food with her fork._

_Lexie pinched her lips, trying as hard as she could not to start crying. "But, Meredith, please don't be mad at me. It's just… I don't know what to tell you. We almost never talk… I…" She glanced at Derek, who was watching Meredith attentively. _

_Meredith lifted a hand up, stopping her. "Don't blame the fact that we rarely call each other, Lexie. You had a baby and you chose not to tell me." She reminded her, her voice shaking slightly._

"_I'm sorry…" she whispered, unable to find anything else to say._

_They stayed quiet for a few minutes, all three of them staring at their plates. _

_Derek was the first person to break the silence. "How old is he?" he asked, trying to sound cheerful._

_Lexie looked up at him, giving him a small nervous smile. "He's three." He was two months away from turning four, but she wasn't going to tell them that. They'd start counting and they'd realize she was already pregnant when she left Seattle. _

_Derek wrapped his arm around Meredith's shoulders and lifted his eyebrows. "Wow, I don't know what to say." He paused and, seeing as no one was saying anything, continued. "Who's the father?"_

_Lexie let out a nervous laugh. He'd asked her the one question she would never be able to answer truthfully. "A guy I met when I moved to Boston." She grimaced and shrugged her shoulders, glancing down at her half-filled plate. "He's not in the picture." She added. _

"_So you're raising him alone?" _

_She nodded in agreement. "Yes, I am."_

"_Who's taking care of him while you're here?" He asked her, giving Meredith a quick look. She was still staring at her food, apparently deep in thought._

"_A friend." She took a long breath and looked at Meredith, needing to make her understand. "I… I was scared, alright? Not telling you about him was a mistake, but I was scared to tell you. I didn't want to disappoint you."_

_Meredith looked up at her then, her eyes filled with sadness. "Well I AM disappointed. Sure, we're not that close, but I thought you'd tell me something that important. I guess I was wrong." She told her in a calmer voice._

_Lexie looked down at her hands, wondering if she should just pack her bags and go back home. She knew coming here would bring trouble. She was here for their wedding and the last thing she wanted was to become a weight for them, especially for Meredith. _

"_What's his name?" Her sister asked her, breaking the silence. _

_She couldn't keep a small grin from reaching her lips at the thought of her son. "Zachary."_

_Meredith sighed and tried giving her a small smile. "Well, just promise us we'll get to meet Zachary."_

__ _ _ _ __

They'd asked if she had a picture with her, but the only one she had with her was one she'd taken when Zack was ten months old. It was also the first time she'd felt happy not having a more recent picture. As much as she was proud of her son, she simply couldn't show him. The striking resemblance between him and his father would have made everything even more complicated. Not only would she have had to explain why she hadn't told them about having had a baby, but she would've had to explain WHY she'd taken Mark's son away from him.

Lexie's dark eyes turned to the door when she heard her sister and fiancé come out of their room. She heard their steps as they walked down the stairs, probably going to the kitchen to get breakfast.

Coffee. That's what she needed.

That and a second chance at her life.

She sighed and forced herself out of bed, grabbing her large sweatshirt from the chair. She pulled it over her head, tied her hair in a messy bun and opened the door, ready to face them.

She could hear the couple talking in the kitchen as she got closer. Their chatting stopped the moment she walked into the room, replaced by an awkward silence. "Good morning." She muttered in a small voice.

Derek smiled at her. "Good morning!" He turned his gaze to Meredith and gave her a quick peck on the lips before grabbing his bag from the floor. "I really have to go or I'm going to be late for work."

He walked over to her and gave her a tight smile, his back still turned to Meredith. "It'll be ok." He whispered, giving her shoulder an encouraging squeeze before he walked out of the room. "See you for dinner!" he shouted. They heard the front door open and close, leaving the two women alone in the house.

"Do you want coffee?" Meredith offered, pointing at the coffee machine.

Lexie nodded her head and walked up to the large counter. "Please."

The older woman grabbed a clean mug from the cupboard and filled it with the steaming liquid. She handed it to her and offered her the milk, remembering she didn't like sugar in her coffee. "Sleep well?"

"Yes." She winced and shook her head, having had enough of her lying. "Actually, no, I didn't. I spent all night thinking about everything." She sighed and gave her sister a pleading look. "I am SO sorry, Meredith." She looked down at the mug. "I won't be mad if you don't want me here anymore."

Meredith, who'd been watching her, rolled her eyes and came to stand next to her. "I don't want you to leave, Lexie. I still want you at my wedding." She sighed and put her mug down on the counter. "I still don't quite understand why you kept your son a secret, but I'm sure you had your reasons."

Lexie lifted her eyes up to her sister's, feeling as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. "Really?"

"Yes. To tell you the truth, I think this whole pregnancy thing is making me soft." She grabbed her mug again and went to the sink, pouring the now lukewarm liquid down the drain. "Now, you have to start getting ready, 'cause we have a HUGE day ahead of us." She wrinkled her nose. "Not that I'm excited about it. I think you're more into this wedding stuff than I am."

Lexie laughed and nodded her head. "Probably." She straightened herself up and pointed upstairs. "Is it ok if I take a shower before we get going?"

"No problem!"

**XXXXX**

"Meredith! You look incredible!"

"Shut up, I look like a whale stuck in a white lacy net."

"That's nonsense." Izzie nudged Lexie's side with her elbow. "Tell her, Lexie!"

"You will make a beautiful bride, Meredith."

The brunette rolled her eyes at both of them and turned around again, needing to look at her reflection one last time. She sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "It's only for a few hours. I can survive a few hours." She told herself, before getting off the step and hiding in the changing room again.

When they'd finally left Meredith's house, they'd gone straight to Izzie's place to pick her up. Then they'd gone by the florist's to make sure that everything was in order and then had taken Meredith to try her wedding dress on one last time.

The younger brunette rolled her eyes and shook her head, unable to keep from smiling at Meredith's sarcastic comments. "Come on, Mer!!!! Get that thing off of you so we can grab something to eat!"

Izzie snorted. "It's not time to eat yet, Lexie! You have to try on YOUR dress now."

Lexie frowned, confused. "What dress? I already have a dress."

"You're not wearing that dress." Izzie told her firmly, in full wedding planner mode.

Lexie was about to reply when Meredith finally came out, wearing her normal clothes again. "I finally get to be the one who watches." She walked over to the leather couch and let herself fall between the two women.

"But… Meredith! You don't have to get me a dress!" Lexie shrieked, overwhelmed.

The brunette sighed and looked at Izzie. "She doesn't get it." She smiled and looked at her sister again. "Lexie, you're a bridesmaid. All my girls are wearing the same dress." she paused and wrinkled her nose. "Your dress is just going to ruin my pictures." She reminded her, as if it were the most logical thing in the world.

Lexie's eyes filled with tears at her sister's words. "I'm one of your bridesmaids?" Her voice filled with emotion. "Are… are you sure? I mean… after what I…" she was babbling, she knew it, but she couldn't get over the shock of the news. She'd been shocked when Meredith had invited to her wedding, so being asked to be a bridesmaid, that was just too much for her. And now that she'd found out she'd lied to her about something this important...

Meredith nodded her head, her green eyes warm. "Yes, I'm sure. You're my sister and I want you by my side."

Lexie stared at her, unable to find the right words to express what she was feeling. "Let's see that dress, then!" She finally said, giving her a shaky smile.

The employee who had been helping Meredith with her dress went away and came back rather quickly, a bright red dress draped over her arm. Lexie followed her into the changing room and came back out a few minutes later, wearing the nicest dress she'd ever worn. It was strapless and had a 40's style to it, which suited her like a glove. The red satin made her dark auburn hair stand out and her naturally pink cheeks glow.

She walked up to the two other women and lifted her arms to the side, showing them the dress. "Meredith, I don't know what to say!" She exclaimed, unable to hide her delight.

Meredith shook her head, smiling. "Then don't say anything. You look gorgeous!"

Izzie nodded her head eagerly and gave her friend a knowing look. She tilted her head towards her and murmured in her ear. "I know someone who's going to have a heart attack."

Meredith glared at her friend and turned her attention back on her sister. "It's a perfect fit! Now go get changed again so we can go eat. My baby's hungry, and you don't want to see her hungry."

* * *

_SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOo???? Don't forget to tell me what you thought?_

_I know you all want to know when Mark's going to make his appearance.... he will soon enough, I promise. I just want to make you wait a little tiny bit longer! :)_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Author's note: **__ALRIGHT!!!! Fifth chapter is up! I hope you all enjoy it._

_You have NO IDEA how much I LOVE your reviews!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm gonna send you all… a million dollars. THERE! LOL_

_BY THE WAY, some of you seem really eager to see Lexie finally tell Mark about their son. Well, I've just got one thing to tell you… be a little tiny bit more patient. Lexie is in Seattle for a week. She's gonna tell Mark BEFORE she leaves… I don't want her to tell him within the first five minutes they meet again… If that's what I wanted to do, my story would already be over!!!!_

_**DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW EVERYONE!!!!!!**_

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_**Chapter 5: Seeing him **_

"_Mommy, come home."_

Lexie sighed in defeat and brought her free hand up to the bridge of her nose, rubbing it tiredly. "Zack, I told you, yesterday that I'm coming back in four days." She'd been in Seattle for three days now, and Zack was getting worse. Maybe leaving him for such a long time hadn't been such a great idea. She shouldn't have accepted to spend the week here.

Or maybe she should've brought him with her.

She wasn't sure about anything anymore.

"_But four days is loooong!"_ Zack whined making her heart tighten inside her chest.

She glanced at her watch and winced, knowing Meredith was waiting for her downstairs. Holding her cell phone between her ear and her shoulder, she pulled her hair back in a tight ponytail. "Come on, honey, four days is not that long." She reminded him, grabbing her purse from the floor and quickly walking out of her room.

"_But I miss you."_ He told her in a small voice.

She could easily imagine his cute little pout."I miss you too, sweetie. But now, I want you to be a big boy and be patient. Are you being good to Uncle Sean?" she asked him, trying to change topic. She walked down stairs and peeked in the living room, but Meredith wasn't in the room.

"_Yes." _

"If you keep up being this good, I may bring you a huge surprise back from Seattle." She winced at her own words. Desperate situations lead to desperate measures. "Now I want you to smile and to have fun with Miss Jenny today, alright?" She made her way towards the kitchen and grinned when she found Meredith sitting at the table, reading the newspaper quietly. Lexie gave her a little wave and pointed at her cell phone, grinning.

"_Ok."_ Zack answered sadly.

"Have a nice day, baby!"

"_Bye."_

Lexie shut her phone and sat at the table, sighing.

Meredith closed the newspaper and gave her a knowing look. "Was it Zack again?"

The younger woman laid her chin in her palm and nodded her head, pouting. "Yeah. He misses his mommy."

The brunette lifted her eyebrows and stood from the table, taking her mug with her. "You should've brought him with you. I would've loved to meet him." She told her, glancing at her over her shoulder.

"I know." She forced a smile to her lips and nodded her head. "I promise I'll bring him next time."

Meredith wiped her hands and turned around, smiling broadly. "Now that makes me happy!" She leaned back against the counter. "I like to hear you say there's going to be a 'next time'."

Lexie glanced down at her hands, feeling her cheeks get warmer. She wasn't used to this side of Meredith… and she enjoyed it. "So, what's the plan for today?"

"I've got to spend a few hours at the hospital, if that's okay with you." She grimaced. "I can't stand being away from that place for so long."

Lexie laughed and nodded her head in agreement. "I know the feeling!"

"I should be back pretty early. Do you think you'll be okay?"

"Sure! Don't forget I used to live here! I should be able to find myself something to do. Actually, I think I'll give dad a call, spend some time with him." She was actually glad to have the afternoon for herself. She'd missed her dad as much as she'd missed her sister.

**XXXXX**

Lexie took a deep breath and pushed the door open, her mind spinning as tons of memories washed over her. She smiled as her eyes travelled around the bar, noticing every little detail.

Joe's hadn't changed one bit in the last four years.

Meredith had called her about an hour before, telling her they were all heading to Joe's for a few drinks. She had no idea who 'they' were, but had decided to take her chances. She was here for her sister, and if Meredith wanted her to meet her at Joe's, she'd be damned if she didn't go.

She spotted Meredith sitting at a table with a few other people. She walked over to the bar to get a drink, waving at Joe when he finally seemed to recognize her. "Dr. Grey!" he welcomed her with a large friendly smile.

"Hi!" It felt good knowing he still remembered her.

"How have you been? Meredith told me you moved to Boston?"

"Yes, I have."

"And you're probably here for Meredith and Derek's wedding."

"Exactly."

"Well it's good to see you, Lexie." He gave her a warm smile. "Now, what can I get for you?"

"I'll just have a beer, please." Lexie drummed her fingers on the counter, looking around her. She chewed on her lower lip, a habit she seemed to have developed recently. She saw the door open from the corner of her eye and turned her gaze towards it unconsciously.

Her breath caught in her throat.

There he was.

Mark Sloan had just walked inside the bar.

She turned around quickly and stared at the counter, trying to control her beating heart. She did the first thing that came to her mind. She made a bee line for the ladies room.

She ran inside the first unoccupied stall and shut the door behind her. She sat on the toilet, unable to stand on her two feet, and hid her face behind her hands. She'd often imagined seeing him again, but she'd never thought she'd feel this way.

She couldn't face him. She just couldn't.

She stared at the ugly beige door, trying to get her breathing under control. Her mind went back to about four years ago, when she'd barged into a washroom at the hospital and cried her heart out in front of her sister. Mark Sloan was the only reason why she'd left Seattle.

She let out a long shaky breath and came out of the stall, knowing she couldn't spend the rest of the evening hiding. She walked over to the sink and stared at her reflection in the mirror. "You can do this." She encouraged herself. She knew when she'd decided to come to Seattle that she'd see him. "You're going to walk out of this restroom and join your sister and her friends." Her woman in the mirror only stared back at her, her skin clammy and ghostly pale.

Lexie lifted her chin and straightened her shoulders, ready to join the others. She walked out of the washroom and made her way towards the table where a few of her former coworkers were sitting and gave them a large smile. "Hi, everyone!"

The group gave her a warm welcome and Meredith moved her chair to give her some space. "Hey, Joe brought your drink straight to the table. He said you ordered it and disappeared a second later."

Lexie laughed nervously. "Yeah… I really needed to pee."

Meredith frowned slightly, clearly seeing through her lie, but didn't say anything about it.

Lexie took a sip from her beer, letting her eyes scan the bar. There he was, sitting at the bar with his back turned to them.

"So, Lexie! I bet you don't have as much fun in Boston as you used to have here!" Alex asked her, forcing her to focus her attention back on the people sitting around the table.

She grinned and nodded her head. "I've got to admit working in Seattle Grace was far from boring."

"How's the gossip in Mass General?"

She grinned, thinking about what she could answer. "Let's just say I have a personal life... something that was unknown to me when I was still working here."

"Wow, a personal life." Alex sighed and shook his head. "I've always wondered what that could be like."

Lexie laughed with the others and turned her head again, needing to see him. He was still at the bar, but this time, he wasn't alone anymore. She didn't know what hurt the most: The fact that he didn't once look her way or seeing him lazily caressing another woman's back.

She turned around, focusing her attention on the bottle in her hand.

"So tell us about your new life, Lexie! I'm sure a lot has changed in the past four years!"

She smiled nervously, not knowing where to start. However, Meredith seemed to know the perfect thing to say.

"She has a kid!"

Lexie glared at her sister, not believing she'd actually told everyone just like that. She was probably getting her back for having hidden her son a secret for so long. Her eyes went wide as everyone around the table started shouting their surprise.

"Woah, that's huge!" Alex shouted, giving her a light slap on the back.

Callie gasped, genuinely surprised. "Oh my God! Really? WOW!"

Christina lifted her eyebrows but stayed quiet, giving Meredith a knowing look. Apparently, she'd already gotten the news.

Lexie nodded her head and looked down at her half empty bottle, swirling the liquid around. "Yep, I have a son."

"How old is he?" Callie asked her, giving her a warm smile.

She cleaned her throat. "Three."

Christina snorted and lifted her drink up to her lips. "Wow, you must have met someone soon after you got to Boston." She commented, her voice emotionless.

Lexie gave a nervous laugh. "He… let's just say it was a surprise." She gulped the rest of her drink and set her empty glass on the table.

"Are you still with the father?" Alex cried out in pain when someone hit him under the table.

"No." She sighed and forced herself to keep going. "But it's okay. The father wasn't dad material." She told them, instantly feeling bad.

Mark would've made an awesome father.

Alex blurted a joke about knowing a lot of jerks in Boston, making everyone laugh. Lexie plastered a grin to her face and stared at her empty bottle again, glad to hear the conversation move to another topic. She wondered if she should get another drink or just go to bed. She turned her head to glance at the bar again, frowning when she noticed he'd left. '_He's probably banging the hot blonde right about now…_' She thought bitterly. She hated feeling this way. But she also thought she deserved it.

She sighed and decided against the second drink. She just wanted to hide in her bed and call Sean. Yeah, he always found a way to make her feel better.

She quickly apologized to everyone and told them a fake excuse about feeling under the weather. She DID need to be in top shape for Meredith and Derek's wedding! Everyone seemed to accept her excuse and wished her good night. She said goodbye to everyone and waved at Joe before walking out of the bar.

She was walking towards the parking lot, when she spotted Derek walking towards her. She grinned tiredly and gave him a little wave. "Hey!"

Derek gave her a large smile and lifted his eyebrows in curiosity. "Are you leaving? I just got here!"

Lexie sighed and wrinkled her nose. "Yeah. I'm really tired. I guess I'm not so used to Seattle's grey weather anymore!"

He laughed and shook his head. "You DO know I don't believe you, right?"

The brunette looked down, not even trying to defend herself. Of course he didn't believe her. This man always seemed to know about everything and everyone.

"You saw Mark, didn't you?"

Lexie nodded her head, giving a tight grin. "Yeah… it felt… weird."

"I saw him go back to the hospital as I was leaving. I guess seeing you made him feel weird too."

She nodded her head, feeling a little better at knowing he wasn't with the blonde woman after all. "Derek… you told me all about what's been going on with everyone… but you haven't said a word about Mark." She paused and frowned. "How has he been doing?"

"He's changed, but he's still Mark Sloan. He had started seeing Teddy when you left. They were together for a few months, right until Owen and her got back together. Mark seemed okay with it. I guess he knew they weren't going anywhere." He paused, thinking. "If you ask me, I think Mark's decided to focus his mind on his work. It's the only thing that has never deceived him."

Lexie looked at the ground again, not knowing what to say. She probably was one of those who'd deceived him… but he'd also deceived her.

"Anyway, I'm going to go join the others. You're sure you want to go home?" Derek asked her again.

She shook her head and gave him an apologetic grin. "I'm really tired…"

"Alright! I'll see you tomorrow, then!"

She grinned and nodded her head, watching him as he walked towards the bar.

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_SOOOOOOO??????? REVIEW PLEASE!!!!!! I promise you'll get to see more and more of Mark... just be a little bit more patient!!!!_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Author's note: **AGAIN you have NO IDEA how HAPPY you're all making me with your reviews!!!! LOVING THEM!!!!!_

_SO on to chapter 6!!!! _

_Let me know what you think!_

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_**Chapter 6: Unwelcomed Surprises**_

On Thursday, they were knee deep in wedding preparations, so Lexie didn't even have TIME to think about anything else than Saturday's huge event.

A little before lunch, Meredith told Lexie she needed to stop at the hospital for a few minutes. Lexie decided to go in with her, knowing a few minutes could easily turn into an hour when it came to "short visits at the hospital". She told Meredith she'd go wait for her at the cafeteria, not wanting to wander around the hospital floors.

She was thankful to see that most of the tables were still empty. She grabbed herself a cup of coffee and sat at one of the farthest tables. She started digging through her purse for her cell phone, wanting to check if she'd had any missed calls, but couldn't find it anywhere. She groaned in frustration, remembering she'd left it on the coffee table at Meredith's.

She leaned back in her chair and took a sip from her steaming cup, waiting patiently for Meredith to join her. She watched as people she knew and some she didn't walked in and out, none of them even noticing her.

She'd been waiting for about half an hour when she saw Mark walking through the entrance. He didn't notice her as he went in line to grab himself something for lunch. Lexie watched him silently as he paid for his food and brought it to a small table.

His hair was a little greyer than she remembered it and he'd lost some weight, but except for these small changes, he looked exactly the same.

He was so good looking. That man would probably still look sexy even at seventy years old.

She knew she had to tell him the truth. Even if he'd hurt her, he didn't deserve to be kept out of his son's life. Living with her lie was a lot easier when she was in Boston. But now, back in Seattle, sitting in the hospital and staring at Mark, she knew she couldn't keep it up.

But what was she supposed to do??? Go sit at his table, interrupt his lunch and say _"Hi! Sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but you've got a son! I've been keeping him a secret for the last four years!"_ She gave out a long sigh and closed her eyes for a second. She hadn't even talked to him since she came back… she couldn't just drop the news on him.

She was so focused on Mark, she hadn't even noticed that Meredith had walked in right until she was standing in front of her, blocking her view. "He's changed a lot."

Lexie shook her head and frowned, trying to look oblivious. "What? Who?"

Meredith rolled her eyes at her sister and sat on the chair next to her. She lifted her chin towards Mark, who was eating his meal and reading papers. "He really has changed. Don't get me wrong, it's not like he's become this completely different man... he's still Mark Sloan, man-whore extraordinaire." She laughed at her own joke and kept going. "He's just… different."

Lexie stayed quiet, staring at the back of Mark's head.

No one could've prepared her for what happened next.

Just as Meredith was asking her if she wanted to grab lunch here or go somewhere else, she saw none other than her best friend walking through the entrance, holding onto her son's hand.

Her heart stopped beating.

She saw Sean's eyes travel around the room, more than likely looking for her. He finally spotted her and smiled, giving her a short wave. He picked Zack up and pointed his finger in her direction.

"MOMMY!!!" Zack shouted, squirming to get back down on the floor. He ran through the tables, unaware of everyone watching him in curiosity.

Lexie stood up just in time to catch him as he jumped into her arms. "Mommy! I missed you!" he told her, his little arms tightly wrapped around her neck.

"I missed you too, baby!" She was hugging him tightly against her, glaring over his shoulder at her best friend who was making his way towards them. "What are you doing here?" She asked her son, knowing she'd sound way too aggressive if she asked Sean right now.

Zack pulled back and gave her one of his beautiful smiles. "We came to see you!"

"I can see that!" she said, trying her very best not to lose it in front of everyone. As much as she was happy to be holding her son in her arms, she really hated Sean right now. "SEAN!?!?"

Her friend laughed and pulled her in a warm hug, kissing her on the cheek. "Hey, gorgeous! Surprise!!!! We just couldn't wait anymore, isn't it right, Zack?" he told her, ignoring her murderous glare.

Zack nodded his head eagerly.

"Umm… Hi!!!"

Lexie gasped, remembering Meredith. "OH!!!" She turned around and plastered a smile on her face, not wanting her to see how she really felt about the surprise. "Meredith! This little boy is my son, Zack."

Meredith stood up and gave the small boy a friendly smile. "Hi, Zack! I'm Meredith. I'm your mommy's sister."

Zack smiled shyly and hid his face in Lexie's neck, making them laugh.

"He has your eyes." She told her. She then turned her attention to her sister's friend and raised her eyebrows in curiosity. "And you are?"

Sean offered her his hand. "Sean. I'm Lexie's friend AND babysitter for the week." He shook Meredith's hand, smirking. "She told me all about you!" He added, wrapping his arm around Lexie's shoulders.

Meredith nodded her head understandingly and pointed at the free chair next to hers. "Well, sit down! We've got lots to talk about!"

Sean sat on the chair, followed by Lexie, who sat Zack on her lap. She hadn't looked at Mark since her visitors had appeared, too scared to see if he'd seen them. '_Of course he has.'_ She thought, remembering Zack's excited shout. Anyone on the whole floor would've had to be deaf not to have heard him. She glanced in his direction, relieved to see his eyes were still glued on his papers.

Meredith started asking Sean about him and his work. Lexie didn't really pay attention to his answers, knowing she could trust him. She knew Sean would never make her look bad in front of her sister.

"Mommy, I'm hungry." Zack announced.

Lexie glanced up at Meredith, who was smiling at her son. "I guess we'll be having lunch here!" She lifted her chin towards the food. "Go get something first, I'll keep an eye our stuff." She told her.

"Thanks!" Lexie set Zack on the floor, took his hand and guided him towards the food, Sean right behind them. "I can't believe you did this to me." She told Sean, knowing he could hear her.

"Mommy! I can't see!" Zack whined, jumping up and down, trying to see over the counter.

Lexie picked him up and sent Sean a dark look. "Why didn't you call?" She whispered, not wanting anyone around them to hear. "And how did you know I was at the hospital?"

"I did try calling your phone, but you never answered. And since I don't know where your sister lives, I came to the only place I thought I could find you." He explained, grabbing a green salad from the counter.

Lexie sighed and shook her head, remembering she'd forgotten her phone at Meredith's. She was about to apologize but a little voice in her head reminded her she was still mad at him for showing up unexpectedly. "Why are you here?"

"I want THAT!" Zack announced, pointing at a huge piece of blueberry pie topped with wiped cream.

The brunette frowned. "I don't think so, buddy." She looked at his pouty face and sighed. "Ok, if you eat a whole sandwich, we'll share the piece of pie, alright?"

Zack nodded happily, accepting his mother's deal.

She looked at Sean, still waiting for her answer. "So?"

Sean pinched his lips. "You probably won't understand it, but I came here for you. I'm your friend, Lexie, and I hate what you're doing to yourself."

Lexie sighed and looked at her son, not wanting him to hear their conversation. "Zack, do you see your aunt Meredith sitting right over there?" she asked the boy, pointing at the table. "I want you to go back to the table while I pay for your lunch, alright?" He nodded his head and she put him down, watching him until he reached the table. She then turned her attention back on Sean. "What are you talking about?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about." Her friend sighed and put a hand on her back. "Face it, Lexie. You've got to stop running away. That's all I'm going to say." He paid for his food and picked up the tray. "Now come have lunch with me, babe. You're sister looks like she's about to eat your son."

Lexie watched him walking away, still frowning. She knew he was completely right. And she WAS going to tell him. She really WAS. She sighed and turned her eyes towards the man she'd been thinking of, and froze.

Mark was staring at her, his eyes filled with anger. Without a word, she saw him stand quickly from his table and walk out of the cafeteria, not looking back once.

**XXXXX**

A few hours later, as they were all sitting in Meredith and Derek's living room, Lexie still couldn't erase Mark's eyes from her mind. The last time she'd seen him watching her that way, it was when she'd told him she'd had sex with Alex Karev.

It was a little past ten and Zack was fast asleep in her room. Derek and Meredith had offered them a third guest bedroom, but Lexie knew Zack would feel safer sleeping in the same room with her.

Derek stood up from his seat and picked up his empty glass. "I'm gonna go get myself another drink. Anyone want a refill?"

Lexie nodded her head. "Sure! Do you need some help?"

Meredith stood before she could move and took Lexie's empty glass from her hand. "It's ok, I'll go. I need to pee anyway." She rolled her eyes at herself and followed Derek out of the living room.

Lexie waited for them be far enough and slapped Sean's thigh in frustration. "Stop looking at him this way!"

Sean lifted his eyebrow. "What?"

"You're looking at Derek as if he were… chocolate cake!" She pointed at him and glared at him accusingly. "He's getting married to my sister in less than two days."

He gave her a mischievous grin. "I can still dream, can't I?"

Lexie snorted and rolled her eyes, realizing why her sister and her friends used to call Derek 'McDreamy.' She was about to retort when Derek walked back in, stopping him. He handed them their drinks and settled back in his seat. "Here we go! Now this one is gonna be my last, or I won't be able to get to work tomorrow morning."

Lexie had had no choice but to accept the fact that Zack and Sean would be attending her sister's wedding. Sean would come as her date and everyone would get to meet Zack, the son she'd kept from Mark Sloan.

And of course, Mark would be at the wedding, since he was Derek's best man.

Lexie watched Derek silently as he chatted with Sean. They knew. She knew they knew. Meredith and Derek still hadn't commented on it. They'd all had dinner together and Derek had spent about two hours playing with Zack. There was no way they didn't know.

They saw Mark Sloan almost every day.

He was Derek's best friend.

They knew.

And knowing they knew she knew they knew made her feel even worst.

If she was lucky enough, she'd die of a heart attack during the night.

"Are you ok, Lexie? You look like you're about to hyper-ventilate." Meredith asked her, sitting next to Derek.

She gave them a shaky smile. "I'm fine. Just tired." She answered quickly.

Sean chuckled and squeezed her thigh. "I think it was too many surprises in one day!"

"Zack is awfully tall for his age." Derek blurted out without warning.

Lexie smiled nervously and nodded her head. "Yes, he is. He's the tallest kid at day care."

Meredith smirked. "Tall AND good looking. That kid is going to become a real heart breaker."

"Ok, let's just cut the crap." Derek interrupted them, ignoring Meredith's glare. He leaned forward in his seat, his eyes focused on Lexie. "Why don't you tell us who Zack's father is, Lexie?"

Lexie's eyes dropped to her hands, unable to look into Derek's accusing eyes anymore. She'd had it coming… she just thought she would have more time before having to spill everything. She stared at her hands, knowing there was no way out this time. Even Sean, her best friend, wouldn't help her with this one.

"Mark." She answered in a small voice.

Everyone stayed quiet

"Lexie… what did you do…" Meredith finally whispered sadly.

She couldn't look up, fearing she'd start crying when she saw their disappointed glares. She stayed quiet and kept staring at her folded hands.

There were a few more silent seconds before she asked her the next question. "You were pregnant when you left, weren't you?"

Lexie felt Sean put his hand on hers, trying to give her some strength. She took a shaky breath and looked up at her sister. "Yes." She pinched her lips, trying keep her tears from falling. "But I didn't know I was. I only found out a few weeks later." She added.

"Why didn't you tell him?" Derek's voice was colder, more accusing than Meredith's.

She turned her watery gaze on him and shook her head. "I didn't even know if it was his."

Derek laughed bitterly. "He's almost four years old! Did you look at the kid? You've known for a very long time who was the father and CHOSE not to tell Mark."

Lexie freed one of her hands from under Sean's and wiped the tears that had started travelling down her cheeks. "I wanted to tell him, I knew I had to!!! But…" She paused, her lips trembling. "I was starting a new life in Boston. We were over and he'd made it clear he didn't want anything to do with me… I just thought… I just thought I'd make things even more complicated."

Derek snorted and shook his head in disbelief. "That's bullshit, Lexie, and you know it."

She felt Sean's body stiffen next to hers at the other man's accusations. "Hey, calm down man. Give her a break." He glanced at his friend, his eyes getting softer. "I know Lexie, and I know she must have had a very good reason for keeping Zack from his father."

Lexie looked at her friend and shook her head sadly. "No, he's right. I was just scared…"

"Scared or not, you're going to have to tell him, Lexie." Meredith told her, her voice decisive.

Lexie nodded her head. "I know." She whispered.

"If you don't, I will." Derek announced. "Mark is my friend. There's no way I'm going to keep that kind of secret from him."

The brunette turned her watery eyes to him. "Please let me tell him. I promise I will do it, but the news needs to come from me and no one else." She pleaded. She needed to do it. It was HER mistake, not his.

Derek stared at her for a few seconds, thinking, and finally accepted. "You're going back to Boston on Sunday. If by then you haven't told him, I will." His eyes became softer as he watched her tear strained face. "You know it's the right thing to do, Lexie."

Lexie nodded her head and gave him a small smile. "I do. I'm so sorry… it's your wedding and I'm just ruining everything…" She felt Sean's arm wrap around her shoulders, pulling her against his side.

Meredith glanced at her future husband and shook her head. "You're not ruining anything. We love you and we still want you to be here. Don't we, Derek?"

Derek answered instantly. "Of course we do!" He told her in a soft voice.

Sean kissed her temple and rubbed her arm. "I'm proud of you, babe."

Lexie gave him a watery smile and sighed. The weight she'd had on her shoulders hadn't gone completely, but she did feel better.

Meredith groaned and pushed herself off the chair. "This conversation is not over, but I've got to go to bed." She extended her hand towards Derek and gave him a small grin. "Let's go, honey. You still got work tomorrow." She reminded him.

Derek grinned back at her and nodded his head. He took her hand and stood from his seat. "You're right." They both looked at the couple who was still sitting on the couch. " Are you alright, Lexie?" he asked his soon to be sister, concerned.

The younger Grey's smile still wasn't as bright as it usually was, but it was still a smile. "I am."

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_SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO?????? Now that you've read it, you have NO OTHER CHOICE but to review it!!!!!_

^_^


	7. Chapter 7

_**Author's note:**__Yay!!! Got tons of suggestions from you guys for this new chapter… LOVING THEM!!!! Used some, adapted others… I've got to say I really like the next two chapters. They might not be exactly what you guys want, but I still think they're… realistic??? ANYWAY that's how *I* want it to happen… _

_Keep reviewing people! It really REALLY motivates me to keep going and write FASTER! *winks*_

_Have a nice read!_

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_**Chapter 7: A Visitor…**_

"This is great."

Lexie smiled and glanced at her sister, who was lying back on her chair, getting her facial done. She'd never thought she'd get to see her sister in a beauty salon, actually ENJOYING herself. She was more used to seeing her with her friend Patron when she wanted to unwind.

Meredith's wedding was in less than 24 hours, and Izzie had had the superb idea of spending a few hours getting pampered at a beauty salon.

"I agree. Izzie, you couldn't have had a better idea." Lexie commented. The blonde woman who was also getting her nails done, nodded her head in agreement and let out a long content breath.

Lexie grinned and closed her eyes, finally able to let herself relax. The last few days had been difficult and the previous night's conversation with Derek and her sister had been very hard on her. She'd had a lot of difficulty falling asleep when Sean and her had finally decided to retire to their rooms. She'd spent a lot of time staring at her beautiful son, imagining how Mark would react to the news. She'd thought of every possible scenario. Would he be happy? Angry? Disappointed?

She didn't know when she'd finally fallen asleep, but she did know she'd woken up way too early. Zack hadn't lost his horrible habit. However, she did feel better than when she'd gone to bed. So she'd glued a smile to her face and had started the day in a good mood. She was here for her sister first, and nothing would change that. She simply wouldn't let her problems ruin Meredith's day.

"My face smells like bird poop." They heard Christina comment, making them burst in laughter.

Lexie's thought went to Zack and Sean, wondering if they were ok. They'd gotten breakfast together at her sister's house and then, Sean had decided to take Zack shopping for an outfit for the wedding. Zack hadn't been all that happy with the idea, but the moment Sean had told him about MAYBE getting him a surprise, he'd been more than eager to go.

So right after breakfast, Sean and Zack had left the house, leaving the women to do… women's stuff.

Izzie had been the one to organize this day at the salon, knowing Meredith would want to look her best for her wedding. The brunette had complained about it from the second she'd left the house to the moment she'd sat on the chair at the salon, but now, it was a whole different story.

"I knew you'd love it, Meredith. I told you you could trust me." Izzie told her friend, her eyes closed in delight.

Meredith shrugged her shoulders. "Calm down, I just said it felt good." She sighed. "But I still can't wait for this whole wedding thing to be over."

"Thank GOD it'll all be over in a little more than twenty-four hours." Christina deadpanned. "I've had enough of it and I'm not even the one getting married." She added, grimacing as she touched the green stuff on her face.

"Christina, remind me to never ask you to plan your wedding, alright?" Izzie told her. She turned her attention back on Meredith and gave her a sweet smile. "Tonight's dinner is going to be fantastic, Mer, I'm telling you. Just a few friends enjoying some time together before the big day."

Meredith snorted. "I'm just glad I don't have to cook nor clean!"

Lexie laughed nervously and stared at her beautiful nails, thinking about tonight's dinner. Izzie was a superb wedding planner, there was no doubt about it, but she would have loved for her to forget about that stupid dinner. She'd organized a small dinner party and had only invited Meredith and Derek's closest friends. Actually, it had been Derek's idea, since he wanted to thank the people who'd really been there for Meredith and him. It wasn't that she thought it was a bad idea. Lexie was glad to be part of this special evening. What made her nervous was the fact that everyone would get to meet her son, including Mark.

"Talking of which, we're gonna have to get going if we want to have everything ready." Izzie reminded them, smiling politely at the employee.

Lexie glanced at the clock and almost jumped in surprise when she realized how late it was getting. They would have very little time to go home and get ready for dinner before everyone would start arriving.

All four women got cleaned off and then put their clothes back on before walking out of the salon. Meredith and Lexie drove back to her house together, and were slightly surprised at seeing Derek's car already in the drive way.

They both got out of the car, grabbed their bags and made their way inside the house. "Hi! We're here!"

Sean came out of the kitchen, drink in hand, and walked up to Lexie. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and took a step back to look at the two women. "You girls look stunning!"

"Thanks. Where's Derek?" Meredith asked him, dropping her bags on the floor.

He pointed behind him. "We're all sitting outside, soaking up the sun. You're backyard is absolutely incredible!" he added.

"It's the best part of the whole property!" Derek said, joining them.

Meredith smiled and gave him a quick kiss. "You're home early!"

Derek nodded his head and lifted his sunglasses over his head. "It's the day before my wedding. I thought I deserved a little time off." He looked at Lexie and gave her a large smile. "Zack is having a blast out there."

Lexie grinned and glanced at Sean, who was sipping on his fruity drink. "What is he doing?"

"He's playing with the dog." Sean lifted his hand, stopping her from going into full mommy mode. "Don't worry, Mark's keeping an eye on him."

Lexie didn't even flinch at the sound of his name, knowing Derek and Meredith were watching her. She stole Sean's drink from his hand and drank its remaining.

Derek jumped in before Sean could say anything. "You three can go outside, I'll fix us some more drinks." Lexie was glad he respected her enough not to bring up the... situation.

Meredith shook her head, grimacing. "I'm gonna go take a shower and get ready for tonight. I smell like green stuff." As much as she would have loved to see what would happen next, her friends would be here very soon and there was no way she would welcome them looking like crap.

Derek raised his eyebrows in amusement. "And what is that exactly?"

Meredith shrugged. "I don't know. It's stuff that's… green."

"Alright, got it."

Unwillingly, Lexie let Sean drag her towards the backyard. She could hear Zack's happy laughter as she approached the back door, along with the sound of her own heart which was beating furiously inside her chest. She stepped outside, and her breathing stopped.

There he was, sitting in a comfortable looking chair. He was watching Zack, who was screaming with excitement as he ran away from Derek's large yellow dog.

"I think you're gonna have to get him a dog." Sean told her, pulling her towards one of the free chairs.

Mark looked up at them, his eyes hidden behind a pair of dark sun glasses. "Hi!" he greeted her, his deep voice shaking her to her very core. He didn't smile nor stand up. He just nodded his head and turned his attention back on the excited boy.

She gave him a shaky smile. "Hi!" she responded, her voice weak. She sat down, her back as straight as a board.

"Here you go, my man!" Derek came back out of the house, interrupting the awkward moment. He handed Mark his fresh drink and gave Lexie the fruity drink she'd asked for.

Lexie took it and thanked him, her eyes following her son as the men started talking. Having this man, sitting so close to her, brought havoc to her senses. She couldn't breathe nor think properly, let alone join in the conversation.

"Are you okay, Lexie?" Sean asked her after a few minutes, making her jump slightly.

She glanced nervously at Mark, who was staring at her, and nodded her head. "I'm fine." She cleaned her throat and set her drink on the table. "I think I'll follow Meredith's example and go get ready for tonight." She looked at Zack, who was rolling around on the lawn and grimaced. "I'll get him cleaned up, too."

She stood from her chair and quickly made her way towards her son, who was giggling happily as the dog licked his face. "Alright, buddy, play time's over!"

"But, MOMMY!!!!!" The little boy whined.

She grabbed the dog by its collar and pulled it off her son. "Let's go, Zack. You'll get to play with the dog later, alright?"

Zack stood up, pouting. "I don't wanna get cleaned off." He told her, crossing his arms over his chest.

Lexie rolled her eyes. "Why am I not surprised?" She let go of the dog and picked up her son, groaning at his weight. "You're getting so big!" she exclaimed, brushing his wavy hair away from his face and kissing his forehead.

She smirked as her son wiggled in her arms, trying to get away. "Oh no, you don't! Zachary Grey, you're coming inside the house with me, and that's final." She ignored the small boy's complaints and walked back towards the house, noticing that all three men were watching them. Trying her best to ignore Mark's stare, she smiled at them and walked back inside the house, carrying her son.

She brought him up to the safe haven of her room and started working on cleaning him up. She smiled at her son's happy chatter, momentarily forgetting about the fact that Mark had seen him. She quickly cleaned him up and put him in a fresh pair of blue jeans and a bright green polo shirt. She tried fixing his unruly hair, but quickly realized there was nothing to do with it.

Sean joined them in the room just as Zack asked her if he could go back downstairs. Lexie sighed, knowing Zack wouldn't be staying clean for very long if he went back outside. "Alright, you can go downstairs, but I don't want you to play with the dog."

"Pleaaase, mommy!" Zack whined, pleading with her.

She shook her head. "No. Stay with Uncle Derek and be a good boy."

"Ok…" He pouted and walked out of the room.

Sean shut the door behind the boy and turned to Lexie, eyes wide. "OH. MY. GOD. Mark Sloan is HOT!!!!" He said in a loud whisper.

Lexie took a step back, horrified. "Shut up!!!" she whispered back, panicking.

"Zack looks EXACTLY like him. I'd always wondered where he'd gotten his good looks from."

"SHUT UP!" She walked over to him and grabbed his arm. "Please, Sean, don't start making stupid jokes." She asked him, pleading with her eyes. "Promise me."

Sean wrapped his arm around her shoulders and brought her over to the bed, sitting her down with him. "Of course, I won't say anything."

Lexie's chin started shaking as she tried as hard as she could not to cry. "I can't… I can't do it." She shook her head and hid her face with her hands. "Sean, I'm such a screw up."

Her friend tightened his hold around her and laid his cheek over her head. "No you're not. You've just made the wrong decisions." He sighed and kissed her head. "Now's your chance to fix it."

Lexie shook her head and stood up quickly. "Not now. I don't want to tell him tonight." She started pacing nervously, twisting her hands. "I'm gonna go downstairs, act like my normal self, and enjoy the evening." She forced a smile to her lips and nodded her head. "Yes. And… and tomorrow, I'll attend my sister's wedding, act like one of these bridesmaids Izzie's been reading about in her magazines, and then… I'll tell him. I'll tell him AFTER the wedding. I don't want to ruin my sister's perfect wedding with more drama."

She sighed and opened the closet. "I have to get ready." She took out the blue dress she'd brought for the wedding and spread it on top of the bed. Now that she had a bridesmaid dress, she had no use for this one.

"You want to knock him dead?" Sean asked, staring at the dress he'd helped her buy about a week ago.

"Shut up." She told him, undressing herself.

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_SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO??????_

_Next chapter: the dinner. What's gonna happen? OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH.... _

_I want... no, NEED your reviews now!!!!!!!!!!_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Author's note: **Ok.... I know I'm usually not the oone to update so soon... but someone said my last chapter was too short. So I though "oh, what the hell" and I decided to post chapter 8 now. I HOPE YOU ENJOY IT!!!!! I know this may be long and you're all waiting for Lexie to tell Mark, but it won't happen in this one either. 10 is my magic number!!!!_

_By the way... I'm French Canadian, so EVERY mistake is all mine. Sorry._

**_Read and Review please!!!!!_**

* * *

_**Chapter 8: ...**_

When they both left the guest room to join the others, Lexie had gotten the chance to get a hold of herself. She was wearing her blue dress, which was classy but still not over-dressed and had fixed her make-up.

They must have stayed upstairs for longer than she'd thought, because when they got back outside, pretty much all the guests had arrived. Izzie, Alex, Callie and Christina were busily setting up a long table, shouting at Meredith to go away and let them do the work. Zack was running around on the yard, followed by a cute little brown-haired boy, who could only be Alex and Izzie's son.

Derek, Meredith and another man, who was probably Christina's architect, were standing a few feet away from the table, chatting amicably. And a little farther, Mark Sloan was standing alone, holding a gorgeous Asian baby girl in his arms. He was talking to her and tickling her, making her giggle in delight.

Lexie watched them, her heart beating painfully inside her chest.

He seemed so happy! The lines she'd noticed on his face earlier had completely disappeared, making him look a lot younger. He had a goofy grin on his lip as he made the little girl giggle. For a split second, she imagined the baby being a little boy, a boy with a smile that mirrored his own.

"Lexie!!!! We could use some help!" Christina's cold voice brought her back to reality.

She looked away and took a long breath, needing to erase the image from her mind. "Coming!" she said in a shaky voice, glancing up at Sean. She desperately needed his support. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "Thank you." she told him, knowing she'd been complaining a lot for the last few weeks.

Sean pulled her closer and kissed her forehead before giving her an encouraging smile. "I love you." He reminded her, before letting go of her hand so she could help the others set everything up.

Before long, they were all sitting around the long table, ready to eat the feast Izzie had prepared for them. She was relieved when she'd realized they were sitting at opposite ends of the table. Zack was sitting between Sean and her, eating his food happily, when he touched her knee to get her attention. "Mommy, I need to pee!"

Of course, he'd said it loud enough for everyone around the table to hear. Lexie gave them an apologetic smile and stood from the table. "I need to teach you how to be more subtle, Zack." She told took her son's hand in hers. "Come on."

She guided him inside, ignoring everyone's eyes on them, and took him to the closest bathroom. Of course, Zack told her to wait outside; reminding her he wasn't a baby anymore and didn't need any help. She sighed and leaned against the opposite wall, waiting for her son to reappear. "Don't forget to wash your hands!" she reminded him, knowing she'd still have to check if he had.

She was about to walk in when she saw someone walking down the corridor towards them. She looked up and froze.

Mark.

He noticed her and slowed down his pace, stopping a few feet away from her. "I'm… gonna go upstairs." He told her, giving her an awkward grin.

Lexie shook her head. "NO!" She nearly shouted. "I mean… it's ok, Zack should be out in a minute."

Mark nodded his head and put his hands in his pockets.

"He's usually not this difficult at home." She told him, smiling nervously.

"He's a boy… that's what boys do." He replied, grinning encouragingly.

She nodded her head and sighed, her patience quickly thinning. "Zack? What are you doing in there?" She barely heard him muffle a 'nothing'. She rolled her eyes and tried opening the door, but found it locked. "Unlock the door, Zack!"

She glanced towards Mark, who was watching the show with a small grin on his lips. "Glad you think it's funny." She told him, her temper rising. "Zack, open this door right now or you'll be in big trouble!"

There was movement behind the door right before she heard the lock turn. Zack opened the door and dashed out, too fast for his mom to be able to grab him. "Zack!"

"Woah, there!" Mark had caught him and picked him up, smirking. "Not so fast, buddy!"

Lexie stared at them, astounded by the resemblance between the two. She tore her eyes away from them and glanced inside the bathroom, looking for what her son had been up too. "Zachary Grey! What did you do!" she shouted, her eyes taking in the mess he'd done. There was water and soap covering the whole counter top.

Mark walked up to her, still holding Zack in his arms, who had a sheepish look on his face. "I wanted to wash my hands…" he muttered in a small voice.

Lexie looked at him, unable to stay mad at his sad lost puppy face. She glanced at Mark and lifted her hands, waiting for him to hand her back her son. "I guess you'll have to use that other bathroom. Zack and I have a little cleaning up to do before we go back out."

Mark sighed and put the boy back on the ground. "Go finish your food, bud. I'll help your mom."

Zack looked up at his mother, waiting for her agreement. Lexie pinched her lips but nodded her head. Zack walked over to her and wrapped his little arms around her bottom half. "I'm sorry, mommy. I love you."

Lexie's lips turned into a loving smile. "It's ok, baby. I love you too." She told him, hugging him back. He unwrapped his arms and ran out of the room. Lexie glanced at Mark for a split second and then turned around, wincing at the mess. "Great." She mumbled to herself. She sighed and looked over her shoulder, noticing Mark hadn't moved an inch. "You don't have to help, you know. I'll be fine."

Mark snorted and grabbed the hand towel. "I said I'd help." He came to stand next to her and started wiping the soap from the counter top. "And don't worry about him… I used to be the exact same way when I was a kid." He told her, grinning to himself.

Lexie stayed quiet, watching him through the mirror. If only he knew…

Mark didn't look up, focused on his task. "You have a great little boy, Lexie. You should be proud." He told her in a soft voice.

She gulped, the lump in her throat returning. "I am proud." She whispered, staring down at the counter. They stayed quiet as they finally were able to erase Zack's mess.

As soon as they were done, Mark took the sticky towel from her hands, rinsed it quickly and hung it back on the rack. "When are you flying back to Boston?" he asked her, forcing her to look up at him again.

Lexie cleaned her throat nervously and found the strength to answer. "Sunday. I have to get back to work. I was lucky to get a week vacation." She finished, laughing awkwardly. "Thanks for helping me!"

"It was nothing."

Lexie was certain he could hear her heart beating inside her chest as he stared at her. "Lexie…" he started, making her hold her breath."I… I still have to use the bathroom." He reminded her, smirking.

'_Crap.'_ She felt her blood rush to her cheeks. "OH!!!!! I'm so sorry! I… hum… I'll leave you to it, then." She stuttered, walking backwards. She pointed behind her and gave him a shaky smile. "I'll go back outside."

Mark nodded his head, unable to hide his amusement. "Good idea."

Lexie quickly turned around and left the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She took a step forward and hit her head against the nearest wall. _'Stupid.'_ She told herself, hitting her head over and over again. _'Stupidstupidstupidstupidstu...'_ she heard movement coming from behind the bathroom door and jumped, half running back towards the kitchen.

She took a deep breath, trying to get control back over her heartbeat, and forced a smile to her lips right before she walked outside to join the others. No one really noticed her as she made her way back to her seat, except for Sean, who was looking at her with a curious look on his face. "Took you long enough." He murmured as she sat down. "What happened in there?"

Lexie grinned and put a hand on her son's head. "My little man here made quite a mess in the bathroom, didn't he tell you?"

Sean shook his head, grinning. "No, he only asked what was for dessert."

Lexie threw her head back and laughed at her son's words. She wasn't at all surprised. "That's my boy." Her laughter calmed as she caught Mark coming back outside, not even once glancing in her direction. She followed him with her eyes as he sat back down and reached across the table to take Callie's baby girl from her. He had the largest smile covering his face as he sat the little girl on his lap and went back to eating his food.

"You're staring, Lexie." She heard a singing voice whisper in her ear. She tore her eyes away from Mark and glared at Sean, who was apparently enjoying every single second of her embarrassment.

She mouthed a silent 'shut up' and started stabbing her food with her fork. She half-listened to the conversations going around the table, unable to take her thoughts away from one man in particular. When dessert was served, she barely found the appetite to eat the incredibly tasty looking cake Izzie had spent hours cooking the previous day.

But apparently, Zack had no problem swallowing his whole plate. She doubted he'd ever be able to fall asleep.

When dinner was over, everyone except Derek and Meredith got busy cleaning up the table. They cleared everything at light speed and went back to sitting outside. The temperature was getting slightly colder, so Lexie went upstairs to get a hoodie for Zack and a soft sweater for herself... even if she doubted Zack would get cold with all the running he was doing.

About an hour later, the sun had gone down and people were finally starting to leave. It wasn't late, but with the big day they'd have to go through tomorrow, everyone wanted to go to bed early.

Lexie grinned tiredly as she waved at Christina and James who were leaving. She turned her gaze onto the patio and sighed when she spotted her son, sleeping soundly on one of the long chairs. He'd spent so much energy running everywhere, he was completely exhausted. She tightened her sweater around herself and walked over to him, thinking she'd take him right upstairs and put him right to bed.

Just as she was about to take him, a hand on her arm stopped her.

"Let me." Two strong arms picked her son up and lifted him from the chair. "It's alright, I'll take him." Mark whispered, cradling the boy against him. Zack whimpered but never woke up as her laid his head on the tall man's shoulder. "You're sleeping in the guest room?"

Lexie nodded her head and watched him disappearing inside the house.

"Are you going to bed?" Meredith asked her, coming to stand next to her.

The younger woman gave her a shaky grin. "Yeah... I didn't think it'd be so hard seeing him again." She murmured sadly.

Meredith gave her a supporting smile and put her hand on her shoulder. "You can do this, Lexie. You know it's the right thing to do." She reminded her.

Lexie nodded her head and sighed. Of course she knew.

She glanced towards Derek and Sean, who were still talking a few feet away. "Sean, I'm going to bed."

"Sean and I are going to talk some more and then we'll join you, ladies." Derek answered for him, grinning.

Lexie nodded her head and walked inside the house, going straight up to the guest room.

She found Mark sitting on the bed, observing the Zack as he slept. She had to bite her lips to keep from whimpering when she saw him lift a hand to the boy's forehead, brushing his soft hair away. She couldn't see his face and wondered what she'd see there if she could. Sadness? Doubt? Realization?

"Thanks… I'll take it from here." She whispered in a shaky voice, taking a step inside the bedroom.

Mark nodded his head but didn't move. "I couldn't find his pajamas." He told her, his eyes still glued to the boy.

"Hum… they're…" She walked over to her largest bag and took out a small pair of blue pajamas and waved them around. "It's alright… I'll do it."

Mark stared at her son for few more seconds and finally let out a long breath as he stood up from the bed. Without even one last glance in her direction, he walked out of the room, leaving her alone.

"Night." She whispered in the dark, staring at the door. She let out a long shaky breath and turned her gaze back on her son. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes as she slowly padded towards him and took Mark's place. Trying her best not to wake him, she undressed him and pulled the pajamas back on him. She then helped him under the covers and gave him a soft kiss on the forehead. He'd barely woken up and was deeply asleep in no time. That kid could sleep through anything.

She lifted a hand to his cheek and softly caressed his pink cheeks. "This is it, baby." In less than 48 hours, Mark would find out the truth.

* * *

_So??? Was it worth it? Are you still mad at me 'cause I didn't have Lexie tell Mark?_

_Keep these reviews coming!!!! And PLEASE no flames... I like criticism, but it's got to be constructive. _


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's note: **OMG You are ALL AWESOME!!!! THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS!!!!! On to chapter 9! I hope you enjoy it!

Don't forget to review!!!!!!!!!

* * *

**Chapter 9: The Wedding**

"ZACK!!!! COME BACK HERE!!!!"

"But mommy!!!!!"Zack whined loudly, jumping up and down. He was just a few feet away from the large yellow dog, which was happily hopping and barking to get the boy's attention.

Lexie gave him her best _'you-do-what-I tell-you-mister'_ look, showing him she wasn't kidding. Her problem wasn't Zack playing with the dog. The problem was the very clean suit he was wearing.

Lexie walked out on the yard. "Zachary Grey, you better come back here this second!!!" She hated losing her temper, but he'd chosen the worst time to start acting up. The wedding was to start in about an hour, and she was still dressed in her jeans and t-shirt. She'd curled her hair and had just finished putting her make-up on when she'd realized Zack had left the bedroom. She hadn't really had to search for long, since that Herbert had been his main preoccupation since the moment he'd woken up that morning.

"But uncle Derek said I could!" he complained.

"And I say you can't." She picked him up and carried him back inside the house, mumbling to herself about how they were going to make it on time. Derek had left very early that morning with Mark, leaving Meredith to get prepared at home with the women. Lexie had spent so much time running around like a headless chicken that by the time her sister was ready to leave the house, she'd realized she wasn't ready at all.

Lexie half ran up stairs and groaned in desperation when Sean finally came out of the shower, looking fresh and ready to leave. "Couldn't you watch him?" She asked him, her wide dark eyes accusing.

"Hey, I just came out of the shower." He answered defensively.

She rolled her eyes and almost shoved the boy into his arms. "You've been in the bathroom for more than an hour." She reminded him, making her way back towards the guest room.

"What can I say? Looking this fabulous is a lot of work!" he told her, following her. "Plus, he's not MY son."

She glared at him. "When did you become such an ass?"

"When YOU became a big fat liar." He shot right back. He glanced down at the boy and gave him a large grin. "What did we say about lying, Zack?"

"Lying is very, very, VERY bad." Zack answered, remembering what he'd been told over and over again.

Sean nodded his head and looked up at Lexie again, ignoring her murderous glare. "Yes, lying is very bad."

"Could you leave me alone, please?" she mumbled, trying very hard not to say anything bad in front of her son. "I just need five minutes to put my dress on."

"Of course! You just had to ask!" Sean started towards the door, still carrying Zack in his arms, and turned around just as he was about to disappear. "Did you at least shave your legs?"

"LEAVE!!!!!!"

About fifteen minutes later, all three of them were able to leave the house. When they finally reached the church, Sean took Zack inside to find their seat and Lexie ran to find Meredith.

"I'M HERE, I'M HERE!!!!!" She shouted as she ran up to the three women who were all looking more than nervous. Well, now that she got a better look at them, only Izzie looked like she was about to commit a murder.

"Lexie! What took you so long?" The blonde shouted at her, her hands on her hips.

"I'm sorry, okay? Zack decided to throw a tantrum and Sean stared at himself in the mirror for about an hour." She explained, not caring if she sounded harsh.

"Oh, look! The second Grey got here and she's in an even worse mood than the first one!" Christina commented sarcastically, grimacing a smile.

Lexie frowned and glanced at her sister, who looked as if she was about to take part in a wrestling match. "What happened?" She asked, forgetting about Christina's snide remark.

"I'm fine. I'm just nervous." She told her, playing nervously with the skirt of her dress. "I don't think this is the right dress. I look like a beached whale."

Christina rolled her eyes and Izzie simply ignored her. She must have been at it for while now and her friends had gone out of things to say. Lexie watched her, unable to ignore the wave of anger that came washing over her. "JUST STOP THIS!" she barked, glaring at her sister. "Do you KNOW how LUCKY you are? You and Derek LOVE each other. You're going to have a baby together and become a happy, loving family." She pointed at her, her voice shaking with emotion. "You have no idea how much I'd like to be where you are, wearing the same stupid dress, about to get married to the man I love."

Meredith gaped at her, for once unable to say anything back.

"If I could just go back four…" She shook her head. "… just… forget it." She sighed sadly and gave her sister a pained look. "Please, Meredith, just stop it. Be happy. This is YOUR special day." She added.

Meredith sighed and stared at her for a few more seconds, thoughtful. She finally nodded her head slowly, silently agreeing with her.

**XXXXX**

"I wonder if the food is going to be good." Sean asked her out of the blue. Getting no answer from his friend, he glanced at her, needing to keep his attention on the road. "Are you listening to me?" They were back inside Meredith's car and on their way to the reception.

"Sure." She told him, knowing he could see right through her. She couldn't get the wedding ceremony out of her head. It had been perfect; even more beautiful than Izzie and Alex's wedding a few years ago.

As she'd followed Christina and Izzie down the aisle, her eyes had wondered around the guests who all were watching them. Derek looked incredible, standing in front of the church, waiting patiently for his future wife to walk down the aisle. Mark was standing next to him, breathtaking in his dark suit. She could've sworn he never took his eyes off of her as she'd made her way towards them. She, on the other hand, had been completely unable to look at him more than for one split second. She didn't have the strength to meet his blue eyes, afraid she'd stop breathing or, even worse, lose the use of her legs and fall flat on her nose.

Standing up front, she'd kept a bright smile plastered to her face. She'd let her eyes travel around the guests, smiling at the people she knew and missed. She'd winked at her son and best friend who only had eyes for her.

Everyone could agree that Meredith looked NOTHING like a beached whale as she'd walked down the aisle in her white dress. To her eyes, and probably to her fiancé's, she was the most beautiful bride she'd ever seen. Lexie had rarely had the chance to see her sister's eyes sparkle with so much happiness.

She'd watched them as they'd exchanged their vows, her eyes filling with tears.

She was happy for her sister and her new brother, but also couldn't help feeling envious. She'd once dreamed of marrying the man she loved. But apparently, she wasn't meant to live a fairy tale.

Her mind came back to reality when she felt the car stop and heard the engine being turned off. She looked out the window and realized they'd reached where the reception was going to be held. She reached to unhook her seat belt but a hand stopped her from doing so.

"Do we need a code or something?"

"What?" she asked, puzzled.

"Well, I'm not sure if you're going to survive this. You already look like you're about to vomit out of the window." He ignored her glare and gave her a knowing grin. "I just want to know when I have to be your knight in shining armor and save you."

Lexie snorted in a very unfeminine way. "First, you wouldn't be able to ride a horse even if your life depended on it." She ignored his glare and gave him a warm smile. "Second, I just want you to enjoy yourself. I know I will."

It was Sean's turn to snort at her. "I can't believe you thought I'd fall for that lie."

"Shut up."

"Mommy, you said a bad word!!!!!" Zack shouted from the back seat, outraged.

Sean "Yes, she did, Zack!" He looked back at her, his eyes filled with amusement. "You're a bad, BAD girl, Lexie Grey."

The brunette looked over her shoulder. "I'm sorry, ok?" She turned her eyes on her friend and glared at him. "Sorry if I'm feeling a little off. I'm less than 24 hours away from doing the scariest thing I've ever had to do." She muttered under her breath, not wanting her son to hear her.

Sean sighed and nodded his head, letting it go. "I know. I'm sorry. Let's just go in and enjoy ourselves, alright?"

"Alright."

"FINALLY!" Zack shouted.

The two adults just couldn't help laughing at the boy's exasperate tone.

**XXXXX**

Lexie leaned back in her chair, swallowing the last of her drink, and let her eyes wander around the large room. Dinner had been eaten for about an hour already and people seemed to be having loads of fun. Meredith and Derek were on the dance floor, dancing with their friends. Children were running everywhere, still high from all the sugar they'd eaten. Lexie had given up on having any kind of control on Zack the moment she'd seen him disappear from the table to follow a bunch of kids.

"Hey!"

Lexie jumped in surprise as her best friend touched her shoulder and sat down next to her. "Where have you been? You said you were only going to the washroom." She asked him, a little bothered to have been left alone for so long.

Sean cleaned his throat, looking excited. "I met someone."

The brunette gasped and smacked his arm, eyes wide. "YOU DIDN'T. This is my sister's wedding and… and… you're… my DATE!!!!" She stuttered.

Sean rolled his eyes at her and shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe. But you've got boobs, and he doesn't. He's already a lot more interesting to be with."

"I hate you." She pouted, looking down at her empty drink. "So you're leaving me all alone."

"Yep! And you have two choices." He announced. "You can either sit here and look like a little lost doll…" He paused and gave her a small wink. "… or you can spend some time with sexy Dr. Sloan." Sean patted her thigh and left the table before she could say anything.

"What…"

"Hi." A deep male voice sounded right next to her.

She had to remind herself to keep breathing as she looked up at Mark, who was smiling down at her and holding out a drink to her.

"Hi." She took his offered drink and grinned nervously. "Thanks."

His smile widened and he pointed at the empty chair next to hers. "Mind if I sit with you? It looks like your friend abandoned you."

"Um... no... no problem!" She stuttered.

He looked at the chair and shook his head, apparently changing his mind. "Actually, I was wondering if you wanted to dance with me." He scratched his jaw, looking slightly nervous. "You're the bridesmaid and I'm the best man. We should at least dance together once."

"YES!!!!" She nearly shouted. She cleaned her throat and gave him an apologetic smile. "Sure, I would love to."

He took the drink from her hand and set it on the table along with his. He then held out his hand and led her on the dance floor. He laid one of his warm hands on the small of her back and took her hand in the other, drawing her a little closer.

Lexie couldn't help feeling a little shy as he looked down at her and started swaying to the music. Her heart fluttered and chills covered her whole body as his hand on her back moved a little lower. She'd been dreaming about a moment like this for so long… she couldn't believe it was actually happening.

"So? Tell me about you, Lexie." He started.

Lexie was surprised she'd even heard him over the sound of her beating heart. "What do you want to know?" she asked back.

"Well apparently a lot has changed since you moved to Boston." He reminded her, most probably talking about Zack.

She shrugged. "Not that much has changed, really. I'm still the same Lexie I was four years ago. I'm still overly emotional and make horrible decisions and…" she rolled her eyes at herself. "As you can see I still can't control my babbling." He chuckled at that comment. "The only difference is I have a son now." She gulped, watching for his reaction.

He grinned. "I was really surprised when I heard you had a kid."

Telling him the truth while they were dancing wouldn't be a good idea. "Let's just say Zack wasn't… planned."

"He's a great kid."

She nodded her head. "He is. I can't imagine my life without him."

"He seems very close to your friend Sean." He frowned. "Umm... does... is he… do you…" Mark stuttered, grinning nervously.

Lexie giggled and shook her head. "Sean is my best friend, nothing more."

"You two look very close." he stated.

"Well, we DO live together… let's just say he'd like YOU in his bed a lot more than ME." She told him, giggling at her own words.

Mark snorted and wrinkled his nose. "Got it!"

They kept dancing slowly, trying to find something else to talk about. Lexie couldn't quite put her finger on the expression that graced his handsome face… could it be… relief? He was watching her, looking thoughtful. He finally opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by his friend jumping on his shoulders.

Without them realizing it, the music had changed to something a lot more energetic and people around them had started moving and jumping around. Derek separated them and gave her a huge hug before dragging his best friend farther on the dance floor. She could see Mark looking at her with an apologetic grin on his face. He mouthed a 'sorry' and turned around to follow his friend.

Lexie took a long shaky breath, needing to get her heart back under control. She gave her head a little shake and grinned at the people around her before going back to her table.

She'd almost reached it when she felt someone bump into her, almost knocking her over. "Mommy!!!"

Lexie smiled and picked Zack up, smoothing his messy hair back. "Hey, buddy! Having fun?"

"YES!!!" He shouted, nodding his head in excitement. "I'm thirsty, mommy."

She grinned and kissed his cheek. "Let's get you some juice." She carried him towards the bar, listening to his happy chatter, and sat him on one of the high stools. As she was waiting for him to finish his drink, someone came to stand next to her, drawing her attention.

"Mrs. Shepherd!!!" She gave her a large smile, feeling her heartbeat pick up the pace again. This woman had always made her nervous.

The older woman pulled her into a warm hug. "Lexie Grey! I haven't heard from you in ages!" She pulled back and looked her up and down. "You look beautiful!"

"Thank you, Mrs. Shepherd." She answered shyly.

"ALL FINISHED!!!!!!" Zack shouted.

Mrs. Shepherd lifted her eyebrows in curiosity as Lexie turned her attention back on her son, who was holding his empty glass out to her. She put it back on the counter and then helped him get down from the stool.

The older woman watched the little boy run back to his friends, a confused frown on her brow. "Lexie, you have a child?"

Lexie grinned and nodded her head in agreement. "I do!"

"What's his name?" Mrs. Shepherd asked her, still looking confused.

"Zachary Grey."

She stayed quiet for a moment, watching Zack from afar. "He's gorgeous." She finally told her.

Lexie smiled proudly. "Thank you."

Mrs. Shepherd gave her a nervous grin. "Well… it was nice seeing you again, Lexie." She squeezed her arm and walked away quickly, probably back to her family.

Lexie watched her walking away for a few seconds and finally went back to her own table. She looked at her chair and sighed, realizing she didn't feel like sitting anymore. She took the drink Mark had gotten for her earlier and decided some fresh air would do her some good.

She made her way outside, smiling politely at the other guests. Once outside, she took a deep breath, enjoying the night's cool air, and sat down on one of the steps. She wrapped her arms around herself, wishing she'd brought something warm to wear over her naked shoulders. Nights in Seattle were always a little chilly, even in the summer. She heard the door open and close from behind her, and jumped in shock as a harsh voice broke the silence.

"What's going on?!?!?!"

* * *

_So, now that I did my part, I want you to do yours!!!! DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_


	10. Chapter 10

_**Author's note: **CHAPTER 10!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TADAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!_

_I hope you all love it! I think your expectations are really high now… I can't help feeling nervous about your reactions!!!! PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!!!!!_

_Me looooooves reviews!!!!_

* * *

**Chapter 10: And the truth comes out**

Lexie quickly stood from the step. "What are you talking about?" She asked, frowning in confusion.

Mark s shook his head and glared at her darkly. "Cut the crap, you know damn well what I'm talking about."

Lexie gasped, her heart hammering in her chest. She kept her arms wrapped around her torso, almost as if she wanted to protect herself. "Who… who told you?" she stuttered, unable to look at him.

"SO IT'S TRUE???!?!" He shouted, getting even angrier.

Lexie winced and looked up at him. "DON'T shout at me, alright?" She shot back, quickly losing her temper. She wasn't the type of person who got angry easily, but she did not accept someone screaming at her… even if she totally deserved it. "I don't even know what you heard!" She told him. She knew he'd found out the truth, but she still wanted to know WHAT he'd heard.

"Someone accused me of getting you pregnant and leaving you to raise the baby by yourself."

"Who said that?" She asked him, a few names running through her head.

"Mrs. Shepherd." He answered, crossing his arms over his chest. "Lexie, who's Zack's father?"

Lexie looked up at his face again, her whole body shaking. There was no backing out this time. "You are."

Mark swallowed hard, his eyes filled with anger and hurt. "How could…" He took a shaky breath, trying as hard as he could to stay in control. "HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME???!?!" He cried out, pain and outrage filling his voice. He waited for her to answer him. "SAY SOMETHING!!!"

"I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY!!!" She shouted back as tears ran down her face. "YES, he's your son! YES, I kept him from you! YES, I made a huge mistake!"

He started pacing, his hands tightly closed in fists. "Were you planning on telling me?" he asked her, unable to look at her.

"Yes, I was. I wanted to tell you the moment he was born."

He laughed bitterly and shook his head, not believing her. "Yeah, right."

"I was too scared, alright!?! TOO FUCKING SCARED!!!" she took a deep breath. "When I left Seattle, I didn't know I was pregnant. The only thing I wanted was to get away from… from you. You were moving on with your life and had made it clear you didn't want anything to do with me. And I… I couldn't stand seeing you every day and act like everything was fine." She paused, shaking her head sadly. "I wasn't happy anymore. So I left. When I found out I was pregnant, I wished with every fiber of my being for it to be yours. My wish was granted. But then, I couldn't get myself to tell you. I didn't want to ruin what you had going for you here. So a week turned into months… and months into years."

He stopped pacing and glared at her, his blue eyes dark with anger and pain. "So, because you were _scared_, I had to find out from someone else?" He shook his head in disbelief. "If Mrs. Shepherd hadn't said anything, I never would've found out."

"That's not true." She shook her head and wiped the tears from her cheeks. "I was planning on telling you after the wedding."

"So you wanted to tell me I had a son the same day you were taking him back to Boston?" he threw at her icily, his voice filled with venom.

She stayed quiet, realizing how selfish it made her sound. And he was completely right.

"You're not taking him back with you." He announced, pointing his finger at her.

"WHAT?!?!?"

He took a few steps towards her. "You can't take him away! He's my son!"

"HE'S MY SON!" She threw back, her voice shaking. "I'm his mother, he's coming back with me." She took a deep breath. "I don't know how we're going to do it, but I'm promise we'll make things work."

Mark pinched his lips and took a step back. "You're despicable. I can't even look at you."

Lexie watched him as he turned and went back inside the reception area, leaving her alone. His harsh words, the same he'd used a few years ago, still hurt like it had the first time. She wiped her face and took a long shaky breath, trying to get a hold of herself. She went back inside the building and looked around the room, trying to see where he'd gone. She didn't see him but spotted Sean, who was sitting with another man, chatting animatedly. She made her way around the tables and put her hand on his shoulder. "I'm leaving." She told him, her voice shaking. She knew everything was far from over, but she just couldn't stay there and act like everything was ok.

Sean stood up from his seat and brought his hands up to her face. "What happened?" he asked, his eyes filled with concern.

She shook her head. "I don't want to talk about it here. I just wanted to let you know I was going back to Meredith's."

He nodded his head. "I'll go with you." He turned to his new friend and apologized before he followed her. They found Zack playing under a large table with three other kids.

"Come on, Zack, we're leaving." She told him, waiting for him to get out from under there.

"But I don't WANNA!"

Sensing her distress, Sean took over dealing with Zack. "Sorry, buddy, it's not a suggestion." He grabbed his little hand, pulled him out from under the table and picked him up in his arms.

Lexie gave him a small thankful smile and glanced towards the dance floor. "Can you take him to the car? I'm gonna go tell Meredith we're leaving."

Sean accepted and brought the pouting boy outside. Lexie quickly made her way through the crowd. She spotted her sister and joined her, touching her shoulder to get her attention. "Hey, Mer! I just wanted to tell you Sean and I are leaving." She shouted in her ear.

Meredith frowned. "Already?"

Lexie gave her a shaky grin and nodded her head. "Yes… Zack… he's tired and whiny… I'm gonna take him to bed." She told her, trying her best to sound natural.

Her sister stopped moving and took her hand in hers, looking into her eyes. She knew something was wrong, she could see it in her eyes. "Are you sure you're alright?" She asked her, concerned.

The younger woman nodded her head and squeezed her hand back. "Sure! We'll talk about it tomorrow alright? Enjoy your night!" There was no way she'd ruin her wedding reception. Not waiting for an answer, she moved away from her and quickly made her way outside, needing to get out of this place.

**XXXXX**

Lexie pressed her forehead against the cold shower tiles, letting the hot water massage her neck. It was still pretty early in the morning and even if Zack had gone to bed a lot later than usual, he'd still woken up at six am. She'd had to force herself out of bed and take him down for breakfast, not wanting to wake those who were still asleep.

She hadn't heard Meredith and Derek come back from the party, but knew it must have been very late (or early). They'd decided to wait 'till after the baby was born to go on their honey moon. Like Meredith had said, she'd have more energy then and would be able to wear a bikini without looking like a fat Buddha.

Lexie had made them some toast and had brought their breakfast into the living room so they could watch some cartoons.

Her eyes had kept going back to the old grandfather clock on the wall. She knew she'd have to talk to Mark before they'd leave. She just couldn't leave things the way they had the previous night. After four years, he finally knew the truth. She'd promised him she'd make things work, and she would keep that promise.

It was a little passed eight when Sean joined them in the living room, still dressed in his t-shirt and boxers. He'd joined her on the couch and had wrapped his arm around her shoulders, realizing how shaken she still was.

She had no idea what she would have done without Sean.

Lexie let out a long breath and lifted her head, letting the water hit her face. She finally turned the shower off and squeezed the excess water out of her hair. She came out of the stall and dried herself off with a large towel. She wrapped the towel around herself and went to the mirror, wincing at her reflection.

She looked as if she hadn't slept in a month. Her skin was even whiter than it usually was and she had dark purple bags under her eyes. In a few words, she looked like crap. She grimaced and looked away, grabbing her small shower bag from the counter. She left the bathroom and padded quietly to her bedroom.

She shut the door behind her and, still wrapped in only her towel, she sat on the bed and reached for her cell phone on the night stand. It was almost nine, but she had a feeling Mark wouldn't be sleeping.

She dialed his cell number and nervously waited for him to answer. It rang five times before she got on his voicemail. His phone wasn't turned off, so she figured he simply didn't want to answer it. She closed her phone and sighed in frustration, wondering what to do. She pinched her lips and dialed his phone number again, only this time, it went straight to his voicemail.

"Hi! It's Lexie… Umm… you probably don't want to talk to me… I … umm… we're…" she groaned. "We have to be at the airport at five. I'd like to talk to you before we leave… in person… if possible." She sighed, annoyed at herself. "Call me back as soon as you can, alright?" She shut her phone and put it back on the night stand. She stared at it, wishing it would ring so she could talk to him. Of course, it didn't.

She stood from the bed and got dressed in a comfy pair of jeans and a purple t-shirt. She then decided to go back downstairs to see how her boys were doing. She walked out of the guest room, just as Meredith was walking out of hers.

"What are you doing up so early?" Lexie asked her, genuinely surprised. She'd even doubted she'd see her before they left for the airport.

Meredith grimaced and pointed at her swollen stomach. "She keeps kicking my bladder… I feel like I'm gonna explode if I don't pee now."

Lexie grinned and nodded her head in understanding, having been there before. Without any warning, she closed the distance between them and pulled her sister in a tight hug. "I'm so happy for you!" She whispered in her ear.

Meredith squeezed her back, smiling. "Thank you." She pulled back but kept her hands on her upper arms. "How are you? You seemed very emotional when you left the party last night."

Lexie sighed, forcing a shaky smile to her lips. "Mark found out. Someone else told him before I could."

"Who told him?"

"Mrs. Shepherd."

"Figured." She let out a long breath. "How did he take it?"

"Not well. He was angry… Hell, he was completely furious." She sighed sadly. "I can't blame him."

"Are you going to see him today?"

"I tried calling his cell but he didn't answer it. I left him a message." She pinched her lips in anguish. "What do I do if he doesn't call me before we leave for the airport?"

"If he's intelligent, he will." Meredith answered.

"But what if he doesn't?"

"Then you go back to Boston." She raised her hand, stopping Lexie from saying anything. "Listen! You're going back to Boston one way or the other. If he wants to be part of Zack's life, he'll come around. Just keep trying to talk to him."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Mark is one of the most stubborn men I've ever known. But I also know he'd never turn his back on something this important. He'll come around, trust me."

Lexie gave her a pained look. "Meredith… How am I going to make things work? With us in Boston and him in Seattle…"

"Lexie, you'll have to talk with Mark about that, not me." She winced and pointed at her enlarged belly. "I really REALLY need to pee."

"OH! I'm sorry! Go!"

"We'll be up before you leave for the airport, alright? There's no way we're going to let you and our nephew leave without saying a proper good bye!"

Lexie grinned as she watched her disappearing in the bathroom. She sighed and took her cell phone from her jeans pocket, making sure it was still on. Satisfied, she slid it back in her pocket and made her way downstairs, smiling as she heard her son's happy laughter coming from the living room.

* * *

_COMMENTS!!!!!!! What did I miss? What did I get right? Are you happy with Mark's reaction? TELL ME I'M DYING TO KNOW!!!!_


	11. Chapter 11

_**Author's note: **On to chapter 11!!!!!! I hope you enjoy it! I've been working very hard to come up with good ideas for this fic... And I LIKE it!!!!!!!!!!!_

_PLEASE keep these reviews coming! They really REALLY motivate me to keep writing! _

* * *

**Chapter 11: Boston**

"I can't believe he hasn't called you back." Derek said, shaking his head in disbelief.

Lexie gave him the ghost of a grin, not wanting to add anything to his comment. She could see how disappointed he was in his best friend's behavior.

Meredith nodded her head in agreement. "He's an ass." She added coldly, crossing her arms.

"Meredith!" Lexie gasped, frowning at her sister.

"WHAT??? He is!"

Derek ignored her and reached out to touch Lexie's arm reassuringly. "I know Mark, alright?!?! He'll do the right thing." He told her, giving her a confident grin.

Lexie gave him a weak smile. "If you say so."

They all looked up when the flight for Boston was announced. "I guess that's it!"

Derek pulled her in a warm hug and kissed her cheek. "I'll talk to him." He whispered in her ear.

Lexie nodded her head and thanked him with a small smile. She turned to her sister and wrapped her arms around her. "I'll call as soon as we land."

"You better."Meredith answered, hugging her back. "I'll miss you, Lexie." She muttered, her voice filled with emotion.

Lexie's heart tightened at her words. "So will I." She answered in a weak voice. Just a few days ago, she would've laughed at the simple thought of having this type of exchange with her sister. A few days ago, she'd been dreading her visit to Seattle. Now, she didn't want to leave.

Derek smiled at the exchange and turned his attention on the small boy who was patiently waiting by Sean's side. "Hey, buddy!" He picked him up in his arms and ruffled his wavy hair. "I'm gonna miss you!"

Zack grinned and nodded his head. "Me too, Uncle Derek! Especially Herbert. Do you think he'll remember me when I come back to visit?"

They all laughed, not at all surprised that the dog would be the one 'person' he'd miss the most.

"I'm sure he will, bud." He kissed the small boy's forehead and put him back down on the ground.

Meredith bent down to his level and opened her arms, asking for a hug. Zack wrapped his little arms around her neck and gave her a wet kiss on the cheek. "Come back to visit soon, alright? Next time you come, you'll have a little baby cousin waiting for you."

Zack gave her a huge smile and went back to stand next to Sean.

They all said their final goodbyes and boarded the plane that would take them back to Boston.

**XXXXX**

Mark groaned and pushed himself off the couch, realizing that the person knocking at the door just wouldn't leave. He walked up to the entrance and peeked through the peep hole, sighing when he saw who was standing on the other side. "What a surprise…" he muttered under his breath.

He squared his jaw and opened the door, knowing what he was here for. "What do you want." He grumbled, not making any move to invite his friend inside.

"I can't believe you didn't call her." Derek told him, his voice filled with disappointment.

"This is none of your business." Mark groaned, his eyes darkening with anger.

Derek shook his head and walked inside the apartment, not wanting the whole building to hear their conversation. "It IS my business. Zack and Lexie are part of my family."

Mark shut the door and turned around, glaring at him. "How long did you know?"

"I had no idea. I only found out when Sean brought Zack to Seattle. They weren't even supposed to come to the wedding." He answered.

Mark laughed bitterly, not believing his ears. "And you're asking me why _*I*_ didn't call her back? Do you have ANY idea what she did to me?" He lifted his chin at him. "You wouldn't have called Meredith back if she'd done the same thing to you."

"I've always known you were an idiot." He laughed, ignoring his friend's dark glare. "But now, you're just plain stupid."

"SHE KEPT MY SON FROM ME!" He barked at him, his hands closed in tight fists.

"Yes, she did! Lexie knows she made a huge mistake by keeping him a secret." Derek told him, trying to calm him. "She feels horrible about what she did." He added.

Mark shook his head, grimacing. "It doesn't change what she did."

Derek nodded his head and sighed. "You're right. But she's trying to make things right, Mark. She finally told you the truth, something she'd been terrified about for a long time."

Mark snickered at him. "What was she terrified about? She must have thought I'd be a horrible father if she was THAT afraid of telling me." He grumbled, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"You're gonna have to ask her yourself, 'cause I can't answer that for her." Derek told him. "I DO know you would make a great father."

"Whatever."

"Zack is a great kid, Mark." Derek smiled as he thought about the curly-haired child. "And he needs you in his life… as much as you need him." He added, his voice soft.

Mark let out a long breath and let himself fall on the couch. He leaned his head back and brought a hand up to his head and massaged his temples with his finger and his thumb. "This is completely fucked up." He mumbled, just too tired to keep fighting.

Derek grinned and sat down next to him. "Life would be boring if everything was made to be simple."

**XXXXX**

Lexie opened the fridge and looked at its content, grimacing. She hadn't had the time to go shopping for groceries yet and she wasn't adventurous enough to eat what was in there.

They'd gotten back home the previous night and they're normal routine had started over the next morning. She'd taken Zack to his day care center and she'd gone back to work, like she did on every Monday morning. She'd worked her shift and picked up her son at five, and now, she was back in her apartment, completely exhausted, with a hungry little boy to feed.

"Hey, Zack? What would you say if I ordered pizza for dinner?" she called out to him, already knowing what his answer would be.

"YAY!!!!!!" The little boy shouted, running in the kitchen.

Lexie laughed and closed the fridge, bending to pick up her son. "Why am I not surprised?" she asked him, kissing his rosy cheek.

"I really really really REALLY love pizza." He told her, giving her an excited smile.

"Oh, really?" Lexie rolled her eyes and set him back down. "Go play. I'll call you when it gets here." She watched him run back to his bedroom and then grabbed the take out menu she always kept on the refrigerator door. She ordered a large pizza with Zack's favorite toppings, knowing Sean would be starving when he'd come back from the hospital a little later.

She decided to get herself cleaned up before dinner arrived, knowing she'd feel a whole lot better after a hot shower. She told Zack she'd be in the bathroom for just a few minutes and quickly jumped under the water. She would've loved to stay under the hot spray for a few hours, a luxury she'd given up a long time ago. Feeling clean but still exhausted, she walked out of the bathroom dressed in her large pink pajama pants and white tank top.

She must have spent more time in the shower than she thought since she heard a knock at the front door. Frowning, she tried untangling her long wet hair with her fingers as she made her way to the door. "Go wash your hands, Zack!" She called, grabbing her purse from the table.

Without looking up, she opened the door and started fishing through her large purse for her wallet. "That was fast! How much is it?" she asked, lifting her head to look at the delivery boy.

She gasped in shock and took a small step back.

Mark was standing right in front of her, his hands deep in his pockets. "Can I come in?"

* * *

_SOOOOOOOOOOOOO????? I know I know… It's a short one. On a good note, I got the next chapter already written and done, so I'm just going to read it again and then, I'll post it. _

_Don't forget to write your reviews!!!!_


	12. Chapter 12

_**Author's note: **__Me loves you all! Me now wants to keep writing forever!!!!!_

_Chapter 12! Hope you enjoy it! We're getting closer and closer to the end, people!_

* * *

**Chapter 12: A Visit from Seattle**

"Can I come in?" Mark asked her, looking slightly out of place.

"Umm…of…of course!" Lexie stuttered nervously, taking a step back to let him in. She couldn't take her eyes off of him as he walked into the apartment. She shut the door and took a step forward, grimacing at the state of the apartment. Their bags were still in the kitchen, and there were toys and dirty clothes all over the place. Sean and her simply hadn't had the strength to pick up everything after they'd come back from the airport. "Sorry for the mess… I… we didn't…"

"It's fine." He interrupted her, turning to face her.

Lexie lifted a hand up to her hair, wishing she'd taken the time to at least get a comb through it before she'd come out of the bathroom. "This is a surprise." She stated, breaking the silence.

"Sorry I didn't call first."

She shook her head. "It's okay!"

He glanced down and let out a long breath. "And… I'm sorry I didn't call you back. I… I couldn't have this talk over the phone." He told her, his face still showing no emotion.

"You're absolutely right."

They stayed quiet, still standing in the kitchen awkwardly. "Where is he?" he finally asked, glancing around the apartment.

"He's playing in his bedroom."

"Can I go see him?"

"Of course!" She led him down the hall to Zack's bedroom. The little boy was sitting on the floor, playing with his race tracks and toy cars. She was about to announce their presence when she felt Mark put his hand on her arm, stopping her. He shook his head, silently asking her to let him talk.

He walked in the bedroom, looking more nervous than he ever been. "Hi, Zack!"

The little boy looked up and smiled an identical smile to his own. "Hello." He said a little shyly.

Mark approached him and sat on the bed. "That's a cool race track you got there, buddy!"

"Mommy got it for me. Wanna play?"

"Sure!"

Lexie stayed quiet, watching them until she heard a knock at the door. It must have been the delivery boy with her pizza. She left the two boys alone and went back to the front door to get their dinner. She paid for it and put it on the table. Her stomach growled, reminding her how hungry she was.

She heard her son laugh, making her heart tighten in her chest. She'd never heard a more beautiful sound. She'd heard him laugh before, but never had it been because of his father. She set the table for three and went to the bathroom to fix her messy hair. Satisfied, she went back to her son's bedroom and leaned against the door frame, watching her son and his father play.

Zack looked up when he saw her. "I'm hungry, mommy."

Lexie gave him a shaky smile and nodded her head. "Go wash your hands, the food's here." She didn't have to tell him twice as he was already running towards the bathroom. She looked at Mark. "Would you like to join us? I mean… if you're hungry… it's nothing fancy… I ordered pizza."

Mark gave her a small grin. "Sure." He stood from the ground and followed her out of the room.

They all sat at the table and Mark snorted when he saw the pizza. Lexie grimaced, realizing what had made him laugh. "Zack really likes mushrooms… I mean he REALLY likes it." She explained.

Zack nodded his head, smiling proudly. "It's my favoritest!"

Mark smiled at his son and brushed the small boy's hair back. "Mine too!"

Lexie grinned at the exchanged and started eating. They made small talk, mainly asking Zack questions and laughing at his silly answers.

She left the two of them at the table when the phone rang, grinning when she saw who the caller was. "Hey! Where are you?" she asked Sean, realizing how late it was getting.

"_Hi, babe! You won't BELIEVE where I am."_ He told her excitedly.

"Well you won't believe who's here." She whispered, not wanting Mark to hear her.

"_Oh yeah? You go first." _

"No, you go."

"_Ok! I am sitting in hot-intern Jason's living room."_ He announced.

"FINALLY! He invited you over?"

"_Well, you're gonna be proud of me. I'm the one who made the first move. I asked him if he wanted to get a drink with me after work and he offered to go to his place."_

"Nice."

"_What about you?"_

"Mark is in Boston. He's actually sitting at the table, and we're having dinner."

"_OH MY GOD! You didn't cook him Kraft Dinner did you?"_

"Of course not! Do you think I'm stupid?"

"_No. I just know there's nothing eatable in our fridge. I had a conversation with a left-over of meat loaf this morning."_

"Anyway… I've got to go."

"_OH! By the way… I don't think I'm gonna make it home tonight. So if you want to have fun…"_

"Shut up."

"_Alright. I'll see you tomorrow, Lex."_

"Bye!" She hung up the phone, shaking her head at her friend's stupidity. Mark was here for his son and nothing more. She turned her attention back on the kitchen table and had to keep herself from whimpering she was seeing. She'd never seen anything more beautiful. Her son, the love of her life, was chatting animatedly with his father, the other love of her life.

She sighed and went back to the table. "Did you leave me a slice at least?" she asked, making them both smile.

Zack shook his head. "Nope! I ate aaaaaall of it!" he announced, trying to hide his plate with his small hands.

The two adults laughed and exchanged a glance. Lexie blushed a deep crimson as Mark stared at her for longer than necessary.

They all finished their meal and Lexie told Zack it was time for his bath.

"I'll do it!" he gave her a sheepish look. "If it's ok with you." He added, not wanting to cross any lines.

Lexie grinned and nodded her head in agreement. "If it's ok with Zack, I'm fine with it!"

Zack jumped up excitedly and ran to the bathroom. "I'm gonna show you my submarine!" he shouted, apparently seeing no problem with it.

Mark laughed and took his shirt off, leaving him in his black t-shirt as he followed his son in the bathroom.

She could hear happy laughter and splashing water as she got busy clearing the table and putting the dishes in the dishwasher. When she was done, she went to check in the bathroom to make sure everything was alright. She gasped when she saw the state of the small room. "ZACK!" she choked.

Mark, who was sitting on the bath, raised his hand up, stopping her from saying anything more. "It's fine, Lexie. We just got overly excited. I'll take care of everything." He told her, not looking bothered by the state of his clothes. Zack looked at her and gave her a huge smile, his wet hair sticking out in every direction.

"Ok… if you say so." She mumbled, still shocked. She went back to the living room and decided she could always fix up the place. It was almost twenty minutes later when the two boys finally made it out of the bathroom, Zack was dressed in his favorite Scooby-Doo pj's. Mark's clothes were drenched with soapy water, but what she noticed the most was the large smile that still hadn't left his lips.

"Zack, go brush your teeth, it's time for bed."

"But, MOMMY!!!!"

"No complaining! Do as I say, Zack."

The little boy pouted but humored his mother, going back to the bathroom to brush his teeth.

"I can tell him tonight, if you want." She told Mark, knowing he probably wanting to get it over with.

He shook his head, grimacing slightly. "Nah, I think we better wait till tomorrow. He's had enough excitement for one night."

Lexie looked at him, realizing he'd said 'tomorrow.' Was he staying in Boston? "So you're staying…"

"For a couple of days." He finished her sentence. "I rented a hotel room just after I got out of the airport."

"You could have stayed here… I mean… If you prefer."

Mark smirked and glanced down, shaking his head. "I think it's a better idea if I Ieave."

"Ok." She answered quickly. "I mean, it's fine. I'm gonna go right to bed after I get him settled for the night."

"Can I tuck him in?"

She smiled and nodded her head in agreement, just as Zack was padding back in the living room. "Alright, buddy! Give mommy a kiss. Mark will read you your story tonight."

Zack grinned happily and jumped in her arms, giving her a huge toothpaste tasting kiss. "Good night, mommy! I love you!"

Lexie closed her eyes in delight as she hugged her little boy. "Good night, baby. I love you too." She let go of him and watched him disappear in his bedroom. Mark gave her a small grin and followed his son in the bedroom. She sat on the couch and sighed, listening to Mark's soft voice as he read Zack his favorite bed time story. She grinned when he stopped reading after a less ten minutes, knowing Zack must've fallen asleep before the end, as he always did. Mark stayed in the bedroom for a little longer and finally walked out, shutting the door behind him.

"He's fast asleep."

She nodded her head, suddenly feeling nervous again. She stood up and started playing with the hem of her tank top nervously. "Do you want… to talk… I mean.. I.." she stuttered nervously, not knowing where to start.

Mark took the decision for her. He lifted his hand up and shook his head, stopping her. "I don't want to talk about it tonight. You're exhausted, I can see that. You were nice enough to let me stay for so long."

"I would've never said no."

"If it's okay with you, I'd like to spend the day with Zack tomorrow. You probably have to work anyway…"

She nodded her head, biting on her lower lip. "Yes, I do. And there's no problem. He'll be happy to spend the day with you. I usually leave here at a quarter to eight. So you could come here and pick him up…"

"I'll be here at 7:30."

"Alright."

He picked up his shirt from the chair he'd left it on earlier and folded it over his arm, not wanting to get it wet like the rest of his clothes were. He walked up to the front door, Lexie following him.

He opened the door and turned his head towards her. "Good night, Lexie." He bid her.

Lexie gave him a shaky smile and watched him walk out and shut the door behind him.

* * *

_I know I know... another short chapter. But HEY I promise, next chapter is gonna be WAYYYY longer!!! At least you didn't have to wait long!_

_DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!!!!!!!!!_


	13. Chapter 13

_**Author's note: **OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMG You have NO IDEA how much I'm enjoying writing this story!!!! AND I've got to say your reviews have a lot to do with that enjoyment!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! _

_On to chapter 13!!!! I hope you all enjoy it!_

_Don't forget to tell me what you think!_

* * *

**Chapter 13: The Talk**

"Mommy, why are you running? Are we late?" Zack asked his mom, watching her curiously as she ran through the apartment, trying to fix her hair and put her shoes on all at the same time. He was sitting at the table, quietly eating a bowl of soggy cereal.

Lexie came back to towards the table and gave him a nervous smile. "We're not, sweetie." She reassured him. She finished putting her second earring and stood straight. "So, how do I look?" she asked her son, giving him an unsure smile.

Zack finished chewing on his cereal and pointed at her with his little finger, looking puzzled. "Your t-shirt looks funny."

"What?" she looked down at herself and rolled her eyes. She'd been in such a hurry to get dressed she'd actually put her t-shirt on backwards. "What would I do without you?" She asked him, making him giggle. She drew her arms inside the tight t-shirt and turned it around. "Better?"

The little boy nodded his head. "Better!"

She usually didn't spend so much time choosing what she'd wear before going to work, but Mark was coming over to get Zack and she wanted to look good. Even if she'd probably see him for a total of five minutes. She looked at the clock and chewed on her lower lip nervously.

Just as she was contemplating getting breakfast, a knock at the door made her jump. She was glad Zack wasn't old enough to understand what was going with her. She smoothed her hands over her t-shirt, straightened her back and moved to open the door.

"Good morning!" she chirped, trying to sound natural but failing miserably. "Come on in!"

Mark walked through the threshold, his face lighting up when he saw Zack, sitting at the table. "Hey, buddy!"

"Mark!!!" The boy shouted excitedly. "Are you coming to daycare with me?" he asked him, making them both laugh.

He shook his head and walked over to him, getting down to his level. "No, I'm not." He ruffled his wavy hair with his hand and winked at him. "What would you say if we spent the day together?" he asked the boy.

Zack turned his eyes to his mother and gave her his best pleading look. "Can I, mommy? Pleaaaase?"

Lexie laughed softly and nodded her head in agreement. "Of course, you can!"

"Yay!!!!" Zack shouted, jumping off the chair. "I'm gonna go get ready!" he called, running to his bedroom as fast as his little legs could take him.

Mark straightened himself and turned to Lexie, who was still standing near the door. "When does your shift end?" he asked her, sliding his hands in his pockets.

Lexie played with the hem of her t-shirt, not knowing what to do with her hands."At five." She answered.

He smirked. "So I'll make sure to have Zack back by five." He paused, looking a little nervous. "I'd like to talk then… if it's ok with you."

The brunette nodded her head quickly, her eyes widening. "Yes, it's perfect… I mean I'd like that… I mean…" she closed her eyes and took a small breath. "It's ok with me." She finally blurted out. She looked at the time on the microwave and gasped. "OH! I have to go or I'm going to be late!" She walked quickly to the chair in the living room and grabbed her bag and purse. "Lock the door when you leave, alright?" She pulled her purse over her shoulder and went back to the front door. "Are you going to be ok? You still have my cell phone number, right? You can call at the hospital if anything happens."

Mark scoffed and shook his head. "We're going to be fine, Lexie. Go to work."

She pinched her lips and nodded her head. "Zack??? I'm leaving!!!!" she called out to him.

They heard the boy's quick footsteps as he ran to the front door, dressed in a pair of jeans and a blue t-shirt. He ran up to his mother and wrapped his arms around her. "Bye, mommy!"

Lexie smiled and gave him a quick kiss before straightening herself. She looked up at Mark and gave him a small smile. "Have a nice day!"

He smiled back. "We will."

**XXXXX**

Lexie bit on her lower lip, her eyes travelling around the large room as she looked for Sean. She spotted him sitting at a table close to a window, with none other than Jason sitting in front of him. She smirked and went to grab something for lunch. She chose a large pasta salad and milk. She was starving, since she hadn't had anything to eat for breakfast. She paid for her food and took it to her friend's table. "Hi guys! Can I join you?"

The two men exchanged a smile and Jason stood from his seat. "I was just leaving." He announce, his eyes never leaving the other man. "I'll see you later, ok?"

Sean grinned and nodded his head. Jason gave him one last smile, gave Lexie a grin and walked away, leaving the two friends alone.

Lexie put her tray on the table and took Jason's seat, gaping at her friend. "You have GOT to tell me what happened last night!"

Sean shook his head, suddenly shy. "I'm sure you have a pretty good idea."

"What? I want details!" She took a huge bite from her food and chewed quickly.

"There's nothing more to say!" He told her, shrugging his shoulders. "We had a few drinks and we talked. Then we… had fun… and we came in to work together this morning. That's it!"

"Do you think it could become serious?"

"I don't know! We've only been on ONE date. Give it some time!"

Lexie leaned back in her chair, a cocky grin on her face. "I KNEW you'd be good together. I just knew it."

He rolled his eyes at her and dug his fork in her pasta salad. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Now, what I want to know is how YOUR night went." He announced, pointing a macaroni at her.

Lexie's smile disappeared from her face. "Well I don't know what you think happened, but I spent my night alone."

Sean took a sip from her milk. "How did you react when Mark showed up?"

"I was shocked! He came in and only said he wanted to see Zack. Then all three of us had dinner and after that, he gave Zack his bath. Then he tucked him in his bed and read him a story. And then he left." She finished, stabbing her food with her fork.

"Did you guys at least talk?" Sean asked her, frowning.

"Not yet!" She sighed. "He's spending the whole day with Zack. He said he wanted to talk after my shift."

"Oh… OH!" Sean exclaimed, eyebrows high. "He wants to TALK. Sounds… serious."

Lexie rolled her eyes in irritation and slapped his forearm. "Of course it's serious! We haven't talked since Meredith and Derek's wedding... and it's not like we could call it 'talking'. He basically screamed at me, called me horrible names and then disappeared." She let out a long shaky breath as she stared at her food anxiously. "I'm afraid of what he's going to say."

"Come on, it won't be THAT bad."

"Oh no? I kept his son from him for four years." She grimaced. "FOUR YEARS!!!!"

Sean lifted his hand up. "I think we're all aware of that now."

Lexie ignored him and kept going. "I know he'll want to be part of Zack's life. But I don't know how we're going to make things work. He's in Seattle… We're in Boston. It's not an hour drive."

"What if he asks you to go back to Seattle?" he asked her, knowing the idea had crossed her mind.

She slumped her shoulders and gave him a sad smile. "I don't know… I really don't know. I don't feel ready to go back. I have a life here, a job, you."

"You'll be my friend no matter where you live." He reassured her, putting his hand over hers.

"Let's not jump to conclusions here, alright? I still have NO IDEA what he's going to tell me." She reminded herself as much as him.

Sean patted her hand. "You'll be alright. Mark is a good man." He took her plate drew it towards him, digging his fork in the salad. "And by the way, you don't have to worry about your privacy tonight. I'll be 'sleeping' at Jason's."

**XXXXX**

Lexie found her apartment empty when she finally came back from the hospital. She decided to take a quick shower before the boys came back. She took a total of ten minutes to wash herself and get dressed in a pair of dark blue jeans (which made her ass look good) and a tight red shirt. She was putting on a little bit of make up when she heard the door open and her son running through the apartment.

"Mommy!"

She smiled when he joined her in the bathroom and picked him up in her arms, groaning at his weight. "Hi, sweetie! Did you have a good day?" she asked him, taking him back towards the kitchen. Mark had his back turned to them, facing the kitchen counter.

"Yes! We went to the park, and I played in the games and Mark even got on the swings with me even if he was too big and we went to the mall and I had ice cream and I…"

Lexie laughed and shook her head. "So you did lots of stuff!" she interrupted him, knowing he would go on like this for a very long time if she let him. Zack nodded his head excitedly and wiggled to get down. "Look what Mark got me!!!" He skipped over to a large plastic bag and pulled out a huge remote control truck.

Lexie gaped and looked at Mark, who was looking at his son with a large smile on his face. "Tell me you didn't get him anything else." She asked him.

Mark looked at her and shrugged. "That's it for now. Everything else is still in the car."

"MARK!!!!" she nearly shouted, imagining his rental car filled with a complete toy store.

He lifted his hand up, stopping her from lashing out. "I'm kidding, little Grey." He reassured her.

She nodded her head, her heart throbbing at the use of the nickname he used to call her so many years ago.

He turned around and faced the counter again. "I brought us dinner, if that's ok with you. I thought you'd probably be hungry after your shift."

"You didn't have to… I mean I am… I mean… thank you." She stuttered, still unable to think properly.

She quickly set the table and all three of them sat down to eat. Mark had gotten them spaghetti, chicken tenders and triple chocolate ice cream cake, since that was what Zack had asked for. Lexie had kept her mouth shut, realizing Zack must've been more spoiled in one day than he'd been in his whole life.

Zack finished his dinner in record time and asked if he could go to his bedroom to play with his new toy. Lexie let him go and the two adults were left alone to finish their meal.

"So!" Lexie started, wanting to break the awkward silence. "Should we have that talk?"

Mark let out a long breath and put his fork down. "I want to be in my son's life, Lexie." He told her, going straight to the point.

The brunette nodded her head. "I know. And I want you to be in his life, too."

For the first time since he'd showed up in Boston, Mark bore his eyes into hers. "I want you to come back to Seattle with me."

"Mark…" Lexie whispered, her eyes filling with tears. She knew he'd ask her to move back. As much as she wanted to be close to him and her family, she was still scared. Could she really go back to Seattle and go back to the way things were? Could she go back to working with him?

"Lexie..."

She shook her head, stopping him from continuing. "Mark, listen to me, please. I REALLY want Zack to get to know you. But moving back to Seattle… I don't know…"

He tightened his jaw, his eyes never leaving hers. "You don't understand Lexie. I don't want you to come back to Seattle because of Zack… I want BOTH of you to come back."

She furrowed her brow, confused. "I don't understand..."

Mark let out a long breath and stood from the table. "When you left Seattle…" He paused, trying to find the right words. "When you left me, something inside me broke, Lexie. You broke me." He paused and took a step closer. "When I saw you for the first time in that cafeteria in Seattle Grace, my heart stopped. You were as beautiful as I remembered. All these memories… these feelings, came back. I thought my wishes had been granted." He looked down, his soft smile turning into a grimace. "And then, I saw you with your son. I hated the fact that you had left me to come to Boston. I despised the thought of you having another man's child. I was THIS close to abandoning my best friend and not going to the wedding. But I couldn't do that to him."

Lexie gulped with difficulty, trying as hard as she could not to cry. She stood from her chair and took her plate to the sink, needing to keep her hands busy.

Mark followed her and took the plate from her hands. He took her shoulders and turned her towards him, forcing her to look at him. "Do you have ANY IDEA how much I wished Zack was my son? Of how much I wanted him to be the child I could've had with you?" He asked her, his voice filled with pain. "And then, Mrs. Shepherd came and accused me of being the type of man who abandoned his child. I never thought a man could be broken TWICE by the same person."

Lexie looked down, unable to keep the tears from escaping her eyes. "I'm so sorry…" she didn't know what to tell him. Knowing she'd hurt him this much broke her heart.

He pinched his lips and lifted his hands up to her face, forcing her to look him in the eyes. "I still can't accept the fact that you kept my son away from me, Lexie." He sighed softly, caressing her cheeks softly with his thumbs. "But I'm willing to try and forgive you." He paused, giving her a soft smile. "I love Zack. And… I still love you." He stopped, watching for her reaction.

Lexie closed her eyes, tears flowing down her cheeks. "Mark, I… I love you so much!" she sobbed as he drew her into him, wrapping his strong arms around her small frame. He held her as she cried, his hands slowly stroking her back.

Never in her wildest dreams had she thought this moment would ever come.

Mark stayed quiet, soothing her as she slowly calmed down.

"When did you become so… grown up?" She looked up at him, giving him a watery smile.

"Everyone needs to become an adult at some point." He answered, shrugging his shoulders. He lifted his hands up to her face again and brushed her tears away. "You just don't know how much I've missed you."

Her lips trembled. "I think I have a pretty good idea." She whispered back, staring into his blue pools. Her breath caught in her throat as he drew her face up to his. She whimpered softly when his warm lips touched hers, making her weak in the knees. She wrapped her arms around his neck, needing to feel him even closer. Mark pushed her back against the counter and deepened the kiss, groaning into her mouth.

She suddenly broke the kiss, remembering one very important detail. "Zack."

Mark pushed himself against her, his eyes dark with desire. "He's playing in his room."

Lexie held him back, frowning. "It's awfully quiet." She untangled herself from him and made her way towards her son's bedroom, wondering what mess he'd gotten himself into this time. She reached his door and stopped, a soft smile covering her lips at what she saw.

Zack was sprawled on the floor, his head on one of his stuffed animals and a hand on his new toy truck.

She sighed as she felt Mark wrap his arms around her from behind. He kissed her cheek softly, making her smile. "I can't wait to tell him who you really are." She whispered, laying her head back against his shoulder.

Mark kissed her again and sighed happily. "We'll tell him tomorrow. Let's put him to bed."

She nodded her head and let him move passed her in the room. He lifted the small boy from the floor, and brought him to the bed. Lexie got his pajamas and with Mark's help, got him ready for bed. They laid him down under the covers and each gave him a small kiss before turning the light off and shutting the door.

"I can't believe he never woke up." Mark said as they walked back into the living room.

"Reminds me of someone." She answered, grinning. She sighed contently and looked at the time. "It's not really late but I'm exhausted."

"And you still have to go to work tomorrow." He added, taking a step towards her.

She nodded her head and mimicked his movement. "When's your flight?" she asked him, taking another step towards him.

"I have to be at the airport at noon." Mark answered, now close enough to reach out and take one of her hands in his.

"Ok." Lexie grinned, blushing as she let him pull her against him.

Mark lifted his free hand up to the side of her face, gently caressing her skin with his thumb. "I'm gonna let you sleep and I'll be back before you leave for work tomorrow." His mouth was saying one thing but his eyes and his body were clearly showing her he wanted more.

"Stay." She whispered, licking her lips as his face drew closer.

"Are you sure?" He whispered back huskily, his warm lips just a few inches from hers.

She nodded her head slowly, unable to find her voice. She let out a soft whimper when his lips finally met hers in a bruising kiss.

* * *

_SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO??????? This one was a lot longer than I usually make them? Did you like it? What should happen next???_

_REVIEWS make my day!!!!!!!!!!!!!_


	14. Chapter 14

_**Author's note: **__Hey everyone! I hope you all enjoy this chapter! I've planned to write two more, and then, the story is going to be over. I don't want to go on and on and on about Mark and Lexie's life together…_

_Don't forget to review this chapter! _

* * *

**Chapter 14: Father and Son**

Lexie woke up to the feel of a warm hand softly caressing the expanse of her naked back. She let out a long satisfied sigh, her skin tingling from the delicious sensations his hand was making her feel. She shifted slightly, drawing one of her legs over his and wrapping her arm around his torso, bringing herself a little closer.

"Good morning." Mark mumbled, his voice still a little raspy from sleep.

She buried her face in the crook of his neck and took a long breath, inhaling the smell of his skin. "Mornin'." She whispered.

"Do you know how long I've been dreaming of waking up with you in my arms again?" he whispered huskily in her ear, his lips moving erotically against the skin of her neck.

Lexie's only answer was a weak whimper as she moved to grant him better access. She scrapped her nails along his side, grinning proudly at the groan that escaped his lips.

"Mommy?"

They jumped apart quickly, the little voice taking them by surprise. They both sat up in bed, thankful they'd decided to put their clothes back on before they'd fallen asleep the previous night. Lexie looked at her son who was standing by the door, a curious look on his face. "Hi, sweetie!" she welcomed him, giving him a bright smile. She could see he wanted to join them but was a little shy. She grinned and lifted the covers, inviting him in. "Climb in, baby!"

The little boy grinned happily and ran up to the bed, jumping on top of her. Mark moved back a little, giving the boy some space to sit between them. "Did you sleep here?" Zack asked him, his dark brown eyes watching him curiously.

Mark glanced at Lexie and back at him. "Yes, I did." He answered, a little unsettled by the boy's staring.

"Why?"

"Because…" He paused and lifted his eyes to Lexie once again. She gave him a small nod, telling him he could go for it. "I wanted to tell you something this morning."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"What is it?"

Seeing as Mark seemed to not know where to start, Lexie decided to help him out. She lifted a hand up to her son's hair and softly brushed his curls back. "Remember when we talked about moms and dads? You were curious about why _your_ dad wasn't around."

Zack nodded his head, his brow deep in concentration as he listened to her.

Lexie gave him a soft smile and glanced up at Mark. "Well, Mark is your daddy."

Mark's eyebrows raised in surprise, taken aback by her straightforwardness. He held his breath as he waited for the young boy's reaction.

Zack stayed quiet for a few seconds, analyzing the new information, and finally looked up at Mark. "Really?"

Mark gave him a small nervous grin. "Yes."

"COOL!" Zack exclaimed, giving him a huge smile.

The two adults laughed at the boy's excitement. He was probably still too young to understand what this news would change in his life, but the fact that he'd reacted so well took a lot of weight off both their shoulders.

Mark reached up and stroked his son's soft wavy hair.

"Can I have breakfast now?" Zack asked out of the blue, looking at his mother expectantly.

Lexie laughed and nodded her head at him. "Sure, bud. Go ahead, I'll be there in a minute." She helped him climb down the bed and watched him run out of the master bedroom. She then turned her attention back on the man sitting next to her, frowning at the way he was staring at her. "What?"

Mark let out a long breath and lifted a hand up to her cheek. "I can't remember the last time I was this happy." He murmured, grinning at her softly.

Lexie blushed under his stare and took his hand his hers. She brought it to her lips and kissed it lovingly. "I love you." She whispered.

Mark wrapped his arm around her waist and brought her flush against his hard body, crushing his lips to hers as he showed her how much he loved her back. Lexie moaned into his mouth, marveling at the way her whole body lightened under his touch.

"MOMMY!"

They both snickered and broke apart, unable to control their laughter. "I've got to go." She told him, but made no move to get out of his hold. She smiled and brought her face up to his, kissing his lips. She just couldn't get enough of his taste.

"DADDY!"

That seemed to do the trick. Mark broke the kiss and gave her the most beautiful smiles. "That is be the best word I've ever heard."

Lexie laughed and loosed her hold on him. "Go feed your son, daddy." She told him softly.

He didn't need to be told twice. He quickly climbed out from under the covers, grabbed his t-shirt and pulled it over his head. He gave her one last sparkling smile and jogged out of the room, leaving her alone in bed.

She lied down again and stretched her body, sighing contently. She glanced at her alarm clock and smirked when she realized Zack still hadn't lost his habit. "5:46" she murmured to herself, closing her eyes. She didn't feel tired, but decided to stay in bed for a few more minutes. The covers smelled like Mark. Plus, she could hear the two men of her life chatting happily in the kitchen.

At this exact moment, she couldn't have felt happier.

She stayed under the covers for a few more minutes and finally forced herself to get up, needing to start getting ready for the day. She couldn't believe she had to go to work… it almost felt like she was in a dream from which she hadn't woken up yet. She forced herself not to think about the fact that Mark was going back to Seattle today. They still had so much to talk about… and now that she had him back, she couldn't imagine spending a day without touching or kissing him.

She walked out of the bedroom and looked towards the kitchen, smiling at what she saw. The two of them were sitting side by side at the table, both munching on cereal. "I'm going in the shower!" She announced, smirking when they barely looked at her.

Shaking her head, she headed for the bathroom and got busy getting herself cleaned up. She didn't waste any time, wanting to go back to Mark and their son as fast as possible. When she finally made it out of the bathroom, she still had about an hour before she'd have to leave for work. She found her boys in her son's bedroom, where Mark was helping Zack getting dressed. She smiled and leaned against the doorframe, thinking she'd never get tired of watching them together like this.

Mark must've felt her presence since he looked up and grinned when he spotted her watching them. He ruffled his son's hair and stood up from the bed to join her in the doorway. Without a word, he took her hand and pulled her with him into the living room. When he was sure Zack couldn't see them anymore, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her lips, grinning against her mouth at the moan he instantly got out of her.

Lexie whimpered when he pulled back for air, her face flushed. "What was that for?" she muttered a little breathlessly.

He gave her a soft smile and let out a content sigh. "I felt like kissing the woman I love."

Her grin widened, relishing in the fact that he could tell her how he felt so openly. The Mark Sloan from four years ago would've never said anything like that. "When's your flight?"

"Noon." He sighed, giving her a more serious look. "About that, we still have to talk."

She nodded her head. "I know."

Mark took her hands in his. "I was serious, you know. About you and Zack coming back to Seattle."

"I know you were." She answered. A few hours ago, she'd been having doubts about going back to Seattle. But now, there was no doubt about what she really wanted. "And after… everything… I don't think I could stay in Boston. I want to be with you. I need to be close to you."

"So you're moving back." He asked, his gorgeous blue eyes filled with hope.

Lexie couldn't keep the smile from her face. "I am."

Mark tightened his hands around hers. "When?" he asked her, sounding like a lot like Zack.

She couldn't believe how father and son were exactly the same. "I don't know!" She answered, laughing at his eagerness.

"Come back tomorrow."

She giggled and shook her head. "I've got a lot to settle here and people to talk to. It might take a little while." He smile wavered. "And there's Sean…"

"So bring him with you! Hell, I'm so happy right now, I could even make room for your friend in our house!" He exclaimed.

"Shut up."

"I'm not kidding! We could build him an apartment over the garage and he could…"

"Mark!" Lexie interrupted him, growing annoyed.

Mark smirked and nodded his head. "Ok ok, stopping now." He sighed and lifted a hand up to touch her cheek. "When?" He asked again, sounding more serious.

Lexie gave him a small grin, her deep brown eyes sparkling. "As soon as possible." She answered. "I can't wait to be with you every day." She lifted herself on her tip toes and brushed his lips against his. Mark groaned and wrapped his arms around her small waist, deepening the kiss. Lexie returned the kiss feverishly, losing herself in the feel of his body against hers.

She whimpered when her brain started functioning again, warning her she'd be late for work. She pulled away from him and gave him a apologetic smile."I have to get to work."

Mark shook his head. "You haven't had breakfast yet." He told her, trying to pull her back to him again.

For the first time in her life, Lexie hated being such a good girl. "I'll grab something at the hospital." She said, forcing herself to take a step back.

"Don't go." He pouted, giving her his best puppy dog eyes.

"I have to." She gave him a crooked smile. "Promise me you'll call as soon as you land."

"I was already planning to." He told her, giving her a cocky grin.

Lexie nodded her head and walked over to her purse. "You can stay here for as long as you like. Make yourself at home!" She grabbed her bag and went back to him. She looked at the clock on the wall and winced. She was going to be late. "Zack! Come on, buddy, we've got to go! Come say good bye to daddy!"

The little boy quickly ran out of his bedroom and jumped straight into his father's arms. Mark smiled and picked him up, hugging him tightly. "Bye, Zack. I'll see you in a few days, alright?"

Zack pulled back and gave him a small pout. "Why are you leaving?"

Mark sighed. "Because I've got to go to work."

"Where do you work?" He asked, playing with the collar of his shirt.

"The hospital."

Zack's eyes grew bigger as an idea came to his head. "You could go to mommy's hospital! I bet they'd let you work there!" he exclaimed, looking at his mom.

Mark and Lexie laughed at the boy's idea. "I don't think so, bud. I really have to go." He told him. "But I promise we'll see each other in a few days, is that ok?"

Zack nodded his head, a small smile coming back to his lips. "Yes."

Mark grinned and hugged his son on last time. "I love you, Zack."

"I love you too, daddy." Zack answered, hugging him back.

* * *

_So? Cute? Too much cheesiness? Was that what you wanted? TELL ME!_

_You know what to do!_


	15. Chapter 15

_**Author's note: **THANK YOU ALL FOR THE AWESOME REVIEWS! Only one chapter left... we'll see if I have the inspiration to continue the story after that. You never know! _

_Warning: More sappiness ahead._

_Enjoy!_

_AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! _

* * *

**Chapter 15: Going Home**

Lexie let her head fall back against the head rest, grinning as the other passengers applauded. She always thought it was a strange thing to do but decided to join them anyway. But she wasn't applauding because they'd landed safely; she was simply genuinely happy to finally be back in Seattle.

And this time, she was back to stay. She wasn't planning on going back to Boston. At least not to live there.

Of course the four years she'd spent in Boston hadn't been all bad. She had a great job in one of the best hospitals in the country and had met one of the most important men in her life. She'd miss Sean like crazy, but they'd promise they'd call each other as often as possible and had already settled a date for his first visit.

She sighed and glanced at Zack, who was sitting on the seat next to hers, still deeply asleep. That kid could really sleep through anything.

Zack hadn't reacted sadly about leaving Boston. But even if she was glad she hadn't had to face the wrath of Zack, Lexie didn't think he could really understand everything that the move meant for him. He'd said his goodbyes to his little friends and Miss Jenny at day care, but she still thought that he didn't realize that he would probably never see them again. She'd tried her best to explain everything to him, but she there were some things she just guessed he'd understand over time.

Lexie looked up again and waited for the seat belt sign to turn off before moving to wake him up. She lifted her hand and softly stroked his pink cheek, whispering his name. She giggled when his first instinct was to frown and slap her hand away.

She reached out to him again and caressed his hair. "Come on, Zack, wake up!"

Zack opened his eyes slowly and turned his head to the window. He must have realized they weren't flying anymore, as he quickly turned his attention back on her, eyes wide with excitement. "Are we here?" he asked her.

Lexie smiled and nodded her head. "Yes."

"Let's go!" he shouted excitingly, struggling to open his seat belt.

Lexie helped him and took their two bags from over their heads. Ignoring his complaints, she insisted on holding onto his hand as they got off the plane and made their way inside the airport. She knew the boy could run like an Olympic gold medalist when he was excited.

"Walk FASTER!" Zack whined, pulling her through the crowd.

Lexie grinned and humoured him, knowing he couldn't wait to see his dad.

Mark had called them every single day in the past eight days and had actually been the one who'd arranged the whole move. The moment she'd told him when they'd be able to fly back to Seattle, he'd hired a moving company and had everything organized in less than half an hour. He'd wanted to come back to Boston to help them out for a couple of days but Lexie hadn't let him. Not that she didn't want to see him, GOSH her whole body screamed for him, but she felt like she needed to spend the rest of her time in Boston by herself. She needed to do this alone. She'd built a life there for Zack and her, and she was the one who had to put an end to it.

Lexie shook her head and craned her neck, trying to spot Mark through the large number of people who were waiting for their loved ones.

"THERE!" Zack shouted, pointing through the crowd.

Lexie followed his finger and couldn't keep the huge smile from reaching her lips when she saw Mark, who was waiting for them and looking slightly nervous. They both made their way towards him, and Lexie laughed when she saw his face brighten the moment he spotted them.

In a second, she was in his arms, Zack stuck between them. Mark crushed his lips to hers, kissing her as if he hadn't seen her in a year. The kiss didn't last long as they started laughing at the disgusted sounds they could hear coming from between them.

"Hi!" Mark welcomed his son, picking up. "I'm so happy to see you!"

"Me too, daddy!" Zack wrapped his little arms around his father's neck, hugging him tightly. "I missed you!"

"I missed you, too!" Mark whispered back, his voice thick with emotion. He kissed his forehead and kept him in his arms, not ready to let him go just yet. "Let's get out of here."

They got their bags and walked out of the airport, holding hands.

As they drove through the city, Lexie gave Sean a call. He'd had her promise to call the moment they'd land. There was no doubt the one thing she'd miss the most about Boston would be her best friend. She didn't think she would have made it through the last four years if it hadn't been for him. He simply was the most wonderful, incredible, amazing friend a person could ever find.

He'd been more than happy when she'd told him she was going back to Seattle to be with Mark. He'd always wanted her to be happy, no matter what. And even if he was still in Boston, she would make sure they'd visit each other as often as possible. As a matter of fact, he was supposed to come to Seattle in less than a month. It still felt like a year to her.

Still laughing from her short conversation with Sean, Lexie shut her phone and slipped it back into her bag. She glanced at Mark and took his hand in hers, relishing in the warmth of it. She laid her head back and looked out the window.

"Where are you taking us?" she asked him, realizing they weren't going to his apartment or to Meredith's place, like she'd tought they'd go first. "We're not going to your place."

"I know."

She frowned and glanced at him, curious. "So where are we going?"

Still looking at the road, Mark gave her a mysterious, yet slightly nervous grin. "You'll see. It's a surprise, for you and for Zack."

"Ok…" She answered, knowing she probably wouldn't get anything from him even if she tried. She glanced at the backseat and smiled when she saw that Zack was passed out again. But apparently he wouldn't get to sleep much longer, since they seemed to be slowing down. She stayed quiet, eyes wide as Mark turned the car into a long driveway and stopped it in front of a huge white house.

"Mark…"

He lifted his hand, stopping her. "Don't say anything yet. Just come inside." He told her. He climbed out of the car and took Zack from the back seat before joining her in front of the vehicle. He took her hand in his and squeezed it gently, silently asking her to humor him.

He led her to the front door and unlocked it. He pushed the door open but instead of walking in, took a small step back. "Come on, go in."

Lexie gave Mark a shaky smile and walked inside, tears prickling her eyes. "Oh, Mark…"

He took her hand and pulled her out of the lobby, towards another room. Zack, who was still in his father's arms, had awakened but was still slightly groggy from sleep. He was quiet, his dark brown eyes taking everything in.

Lexie stayed quiet as she followed Mark into a large room. "This is the living room, it's huge and open. I remembered you said you always wanted a spacious living room. And this…"

She didn't even have time to look at the whole room, since he was already pulling her across the hall and into the next one. "This is the kitchen and dining room. You've got a lot of space to work in the kitchen. You're a great cook, you need space. And if you'll follow me…"

"Mark! Stop!" She nearly shouted.

He stopped walking, looking nervous. "What is it? You don't like it?" he asked her, frowning. Zack whimpered and wiggled in his arms, wanting to be put down. He was gone the moment his small feet touched the floor.

Lexie let him, having something more important to settle. "I… I don't… Did you buy a house?" she stuttered.

Mark shrugged his shoulders, giving her a small grin. "Well not exactly. I was waiting for you to see it before I made my final offer." He lifted his eyebrows, still waiting for her answer. "So? What do you think?"

"I… don't know what to think." She slowly answered.

Mark let out a long breath and shook his head, grimacing. "You don't like it? I knew I should've waited…"

"NO! I LOVE IT!" She nearly shouted. "It's… perfect."

He smiled and took both of her hands in his. "I KNEW you'd like it!"

Lexie bit on her lower lip, still not completely at ease with everything. "But Mark… are you sure?"

Mark gave a small laugh and looked deeply into her eyes. "If I'm sure? You're coming back in Seattle, with my son. I want us to be a real family. And I wanted us to have a home." He told her, his voice soft. "I love you."

Without losing a beat, she wrapped her arms around his neck and crushed her lips to his, only pulling back when their need for air became too insistent. "I love you, too." She whispered back, small tears running down her cheeks.

Mark softly wiped her tears. "Come see the second floor. The master bedroom is huge and there's a nice bedroom for Zack and a few more… for a few more little people."

He took one of her hands again and lead her to the second floor.

He was right, the master bedroom was enormous, about three times bigger than the room she'd had at her apartment in Boston. It had three large windows as well as a small adjoining bathroom. They saw Zack running out of a smaller bedroom right across the hall, and disappearing into another one. This one was smaller, ideal for a child's bedroom. There were two windows and a large closet.

Finally, there were two other bedrooms a little down the hall and another bathroom.

"This is incredible!" Lexie exclaimed, her mind buzzing with everything.

"Wait! You haven't seen the backyard!" Mark guided her back towards the stairs, looking like a little boy. "Come on, Zack! Come check out the backyard with us!"

They didn't have to ask him twice. The young boy ran down the stairs and bolted past them into the kitchen, where the back door was. He quickly opened the sliding door and ran outside, not even waiting for them.

"MOMMY!" they heard him scream, making her heart catch in her throat.

"Oh my…" she panicked. She tried to run out, but Mark kept his hold on her, shaking his head. "You'll see." He told her, reassuring her.

They followed their son outside and onto the most beautiful backyard she'd ever seen. And lying on the lawn was Zack, playing with a small black Labrador puppy. Lexie gasped. "Mark!"

"Can we keep him, mommy?" Zack asked her, his attention never leaving the puppy.

Mark wrapped his arm around her waist and gave her a small sheepish grin. "Is it ok? I wanted to get him something… and you know how much he loves Derek's dog."

"He's a four year old boy. Of course he likes dogs."

Mark laughed and nodded his head.

Lexie thightened her lips, watching her son play with the dog. "Mommy? Can I keep him?" He asked her again, this time looking at her with large pleading eyes. "Pleeeaaaaase."

How could she say no to that? She let out a long breath and nodded her head in agreement. "Sure. You can keep him."

Zack stood up from the ground and started jumping around. The small dog barked with excitement and started running around the boy. "YAY! I'm gonna name him Batman!"

Lexie wrinkled her nose, making a mental note to talk to him about that name. She sighed and laid her head on his shoulder. "Mark, I can't believe you did all this." She murmured, still not believing she wasn't dreaming.

Mark kissed the top of her head softly. "I'm just happy you like it." He murmured back.

Lexie smiled and nodded her head slowly. "I love it. And I love you. You're perfect."

* * *

_SOOOO? Any comments? _

_I'm not that good with sappiness.... I prefer angst. But I don't want any more angst for Mark and Lexie. I want them to be happy. _

_TELL ME WHAT YOU THOUGHT! ME LOVES REVIEWS!_


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